Amsterdam childminder admits numerous cases of abuse

The 27-year-old man at the centre of a major child pornography investigation in Amsterdam has admitted carrying out a ‘very large number’ of assaults, the lawyer of one of the parents involved told the Telegraaf on Monday.


Richard Korver, who chairs the national network of lawyers specialised in sex crimes, declined to comment further on the investigation, but urged parents who think their children may be victims to go to the police as soon as possible.
Three men have been arrested in connection with the case, which came to light following a tip off from the US authorities.
More arrests
The chief suspect known as Robert M worked as a creche group leader. His husband and another man have also been arrested.
The abuse happened in two city crèches – the Hofnaaretje and Jenno’s Knuffelparadijs between February 2007 and January 2010 – and in private homes where M worked as a babysitter. He advertised his babysitting services via internet, including the Marktplaats.nl website.
The man has since confessed to abusing ‘several tens’ of children, the public prosecution statement said. A large quantity of child pornography was also found at his home.
M, born in the Latvian capital Riga, married a Dutch man and took Dutch nationality in 2004. His husband Richard van O, a 37-year-old Amsterdammer who works as a bus driver, was arrested and faces charges of possessing child pornography.
Chat rooms
Another man, aged 39, who worked at one of the two crèches, has also been arrested. Edwin R is suspected of carrying out sexual assaults via the internet and contacting children via chat sites, the Telegraaf said.
According to Latvian newsagency LETA, M was also active on a Latvian social netoworking site where there are lots of photographs of him with children in the Netherlands and Kenya.
LETA names the man as Roberts Mikelsons.
More on this:
Creche abuse: ‘police ignored earlier complaint’
Babysitter abused up to 50 young children in Amsterdam

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