A man has been arrested in Rotterdam for persuading dozens of teenage girls to carry out sexual acts online by promising them tickets for concerts by popular bands

The man, who is 34, targeted girls aged between 12 and 19 by claiming he worked for a number of bands, including Dutch boy band B Brave, the public prosecution department said.

The investigation, which began after a complaint from a mother earlier this year, found several of the girls involved had mental disabilities.

Several phones, laptops and an external hard drive were taken during a raid on the suspect’s home. Investigators found some 600 chats, often of a sexual nature, plus thousands of photographs and text messages. Some of the internet contact was ‘intimidating’ as well as sexual, the department said.

Not all the girls have yet been identified and police hope some will now come forward. The man was arrested at the end of October.