A man from Zemst has been sentenced to one year in prison for possessing images of child sexual abuse.
The Brussels correctional court delivered its verdict on Thursday, following an investigation that began in December 2023. Europol had flagged suspicious financial transactions involving payments to suppliers of such explicit materials.
Investigators from Halle-Vilvoorde traced the transactions to a 46-year-old man. While his laptop contained nothing incriminating, his smartphone revealed numerous nude photographs of underage girls and videos depicting their abuse.
According to the prosecution, the images often involved the same girls posed differently. Search terms related to child sexual abuse were also discovered on the device.
During questioning, the man denied actively seeking such content, stating he had joined Telegram channels where the images were shared. He claimed sellers assured him the individuals depicted were adults, though he admitted uncertainty about their ages.
The prosecution assessed the risk of reoffending as low and recommended a one-year prison sentence with probation rather than immediate imprisonment. The defence requested acquittal or probation suspension to prevent jeopardising the man’s stable career.
The court rejected both the acquittal and probation suspension, ruling that the evidence was clear and the offences warranted a custodial sentence.
