Dutch football executive arrested in Cyprus for alleged sexual abuse of children
A Dutch football executive and manager was arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of sexually abusing at least one child, and he is being investigated on claims he lured others into taking nude photographs of themselves, and sending explicit material to them. De Telegraaf has reported that the manager in question is Jamory L. The 44-year-old from Amsterdam was the president of the Cypriot club APEA Akrotiri, and held an ownership stake until recently.
L. was taken into custody in mid-July, according to Cyprus media outlet Philenews on accusations he sent sexually explicit messages and soliciting nude photos from minor-aged boys playing for APEA Akrotiri. He was brought before an examining magistrate soon after, and was remanded into custody for a period of eight days while the investigation continued.
He has remained in custody since on charges of possession of child pornography, sexual abuse, and grooming, according to Philenews. The suspect, a married father of two, reportedly tried to persuade the boys using money and sex toys, and allegedly succeeded multiple times.
Although the investigation now involves incidents over a period of nearly two years, it began at the end of 2024 when L. allegedly contacted a 16-year-old footballer on his club. The victim alleged L. contacted him via social media to discuss training, but then L. sent the boy a sexually explicit photograph. The suspect then inquired whether the boy masturbated to the image, according to a victim statement cited by both Philenews and the Telegraaf.
The victim said he was offered cash in exchange for sexually abusive content involving the child. The victim said he was pressured into accepting the money after initially rejecting the Dutch football president.
The boy confided in a teammate, telling him at least a portion of the story. This colleague then acknowledged that L. sent him similar messages, and encouraged a discussion about his sexual history. This individual's age has not been disclosed.
Another 16-year-old boy then claimed L. added him to a group chat this past January. This second underage victim told authorities he was offered 50 euros and a sex toy in exchange for sexually abusive content involving the child. The boy relented, accepting the payment on at least two occasions, the Telegraaf reported.
The suspect was also accused of influencing and intimidating witnesses in this case. These crimes are alleged to have taken place between June 2023 and the present, according to media reports.
Anonymous sources disclosed the information to the Telegraaf, stating that many in Cyprus are afraid to speak out against L. “Everyone involved in football on the island knows about it,” said an insider. “But nobody dares to say much. He’s quite powerful. For now, it’s mostly being swept under the rug.”
L. took over control of APEA Akrotiri in January 2020, and worked as the organization’s president. Their primary team was in the fourth division during the 2019-2020 season, and was promoted after landing at the top of the table two seasons later. A second-place finish last in the 2024-2025 season led to their promotion to the Cypriot Second Division.
The Amsterdam football trainer worked with FC Twente for the 2013-2014 season in the Netherlands, after two years with the Colorado Rapids in the MLS in the United States. There, he was the Director of Football Development, a big step up from his role as a trainer with SV Huizen, assistant trainer with FC Utrecht’s under-19 squad, and youth trainer at FC Volendam.
In April 2011, L. was shown a red card by a referee during a match while he was coaching Hillegom squad during a match. Dutch football association KNVB handed him a four-match suspension for his behavior, but L. claimed he was never notified of this. Instead, he attended the match of another club he was training, Huizen. The KNVB punished him with a suspension of nearly seven months for the violation.
The KNVB claimed L. began making violent threats against its staff, with text messages like, “your turn will come,” according to the Haarlems Dagblad. The football association planned to then suspend him through July 2012.
L. denied the allegations, and sued the KNVB a few weeks later for the right to return to work, and compensation for lost wages. A preliminary court ruling allowed L. to return to the pitch, but he was not awarded damages, according to a NH Nieuws report on the case.
No comments:
Post a Comment