DutchNews.nl - Paedophile hunter jailed for false claims

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Paedophile hunter jailed for false claims

Friday 08 May 2009

A woman who describes herself as a 'paedophile hunter' has been given a two-month jail sentence for publishing false allegations about a man on a website.

A lower court had sentenced her to community service, the Volkskrant reports on Friday.

Yvonne van Hertum's name is linked to the website which carries a photograph and other details about the man. The site accuses him of having erotic online conversations with under-age girls.

The court said the internet conversation did not have erotic overtones. The allegations, judges said, could follow the man for years 'with all the social consequences that entails'.

The court said it decided to impose jail sentence to act as a deterrent to others and to prevent Van Hertum doing the same thing again.

Van Hertum, who has denied being responsible for placing the information, said she is to appeal. She has already had several run-ins with the authorities and earlier this year was ordered to remove a link to an American website which carries photos of Dutch paedophiles. That link no longer operates, the Volkskrant said.

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Readers' comments

Let this be a lesson to all the other 'hunters' out there that creating libel and slander does have negative consequences. The State was involved here, but that may not always be the case. There is a Chinese proverb that fits nicely here.
“Slander cannot destroy an honest man - when the flood recedes the rock is there.”

By Pantheadoros | May 10, 2009 12:38 AM

Nice Chinese proverb, but....if the flood recedes the rock will be damaged, and Yvonne van Hertum is as a returning flood. In the end the rock will loose, taking too much damage from the receding waters. In this way even the Grand Canyon was formed.
You get my drift?
One false allegation can be enough to ruin a live, career or firm. This woman, van Hertum, ruined already many. Most of them innocent people, who`s only crime was to publicly disagree with van Hertum, most of them ex-co-workers of stopkindersex, most of them survivors (former victims) of childabuse.

By TeamLEON | July 16, 2009 11:19 AM

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