Public Prosecution Service prosecutes 74-year-old man over deepfake pornography of dozens of well-known women
Suspect faces up to two years in prison; dozens of victims reported the matter
The Public Prosecution Service is prosecuting a 74-year-old man from Noord-Holland for making deepfake pornography of dozens of well-known Dutch women. An OM spokesperson confirms this. Making and distributing sexual deepfakes is a criminal offence.
The man came to the attention of the OM last year. After more than a year of investigation, the justice authorities have decided to bring him before the court; he has been informed. He faces a maximum prison sentence of two years.
The case came to light in March 2024. Female politicians, Olympic athletes, TV presenters and members of the Dutch royal family appeared in manipulated pornographic videos.
The videos were hosted on an online platform with 13 million monthly visitors; the website is now offline. Dozens of women reported the matter, and several of them came forward themselves.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Making and distributing sexual deepfakes is a criminal offence; the man faces a maximum of two years in prison.
- The case came to light in March 2024; the videos were hosted on a platform with 13 million monthly visitors.
- Dozens of women reported the matter.
Left
Arguments The emphasis should be on protecting victims: rapid removal obligations for platforms, support for those affected and harsher penalties.
Values Protection, dignity, responsibility of major platforms.
Consequences Without firm obligations for platforms, victims are left to bear the harm.
Centre
Arguments Enforce the existing criminal law and apply European rules (DSA, AI Act), with clear liability for platforms.
Values Rule of law, proportionality, European cooperation.
Consequences Consistent enforcement and clear rules discourage perpetrators and platforms.
Right
Arguments Focus on rigorous investigation and high penalties, as well as individual responsibility, but be cautious with overly broad rules that also affect legitimate technology.
Values Safety, enforcement, room for innovation.
Consequences Overly broad regulation hampers technology without stopping perpetrators more effectively.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The facts come from NOS reporting; the names of individual victims have deliberately been omitted here, except for one person who had already come forward publicly.
Editor's note
Brief report based on NOS (following reporting by AD). The perspectives outline how different political directions weigh policy on deepfakes.More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „deepfake openbaar ministerie”
- NRC — „deepfake openbaar ministerie”
- Tweakers — „deepfake openbaar ministerie”