Five men including a British teacher have been accused of producing and distributing nine million child porn images as well as creating a guide on ‘how to abuse children in the most horrible way’
38-year-old Samuel Kinge from Harlow alongside three other alleged paedophiles appeared in court in Dendermonde, Belgium, this morning for the country’s largest-ever child pornography case.
Pictures and videos of thousands of children from across the world were reportedly found in the ring members’ houses. Police also revealed that they seized files that detail the horrific operations on how they would rent out their own children for each other’s sexual pleasure.
Kinge told the court: ‘I have never wanted to harm anyone, and acknowledge the pain I have caused to the families involved,’ according to Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
‘In a sense of loneliness and a search for friendship, I came in contact with peers online. I got trapped by it, and it was hard to get back out.
‘But it was a fantasy, I would never do those things for real. Watching those images helped me deal with pressure and stress, but now I feel great shame.
‘I have tried everything to heal: sports, church, music… But I live with fear. I am therefore prepared for chemical castration.’
Other members standing trial are Belgians Dimitry D, 34, Michael T, 40, Niels M, 31, and Dutchman Lars de R, 28.
It was heard that the ring would regularly meet in public places for the children to be abused, with Niels M, who at one point took his children to a playpark and wrote: ‘But whoever wants to play with… children will have to pay’.
In one chat message, one of the men wrote: ‘I also do everything under the age of six. Favo age around five.’
The men are accused with producing images and videos between 2004 and 2017, before they were finally caught.
In May 2015, Michael T was caught photographing children on Blankenberge, sparking a police raid on his home. They discovered a haul of child porn and also evidence linking him with Dimitry, who was also found to have indecent files.
Lawyer Kris Luyckx from Child Focus said the men ‘remain dangerous for life’ and ‘have created a manual “How do I abuse children in the most horrible way possible”.’
Niels M today told the court that he had been abused himself but denied touching his own family members, while Lars de R broke down in tears and sobbed: ‘I knew that what I felt was not right.’
One of the men, Dimitry D was not present but sent a lawyer to represent him.
The trial continues.
