A former policeman has been jailed for five years for forcing three girls aged 15, 16 and 17 into prostitution by a court in Den Bosch.

The 41-year-old man from Dordrecht, who admitted most of the charges, met the girls and several women online and encouraged them to have sex for money. The court said the fact that he preyed on minors ‘with no thought for their health’ was one reason for the severity of the sentence.

He drove his victims all over Brabant to meet clients and have sex in their cars and also kept most of their earnings. He was stopped when two police officers spotted the 15-year-old girl changing cars in October 2013, the Telegraaf said.

The man was also accused of making child pornography involving the 15-year-old, whom he exploited for a year. He was found not guilty of charges relating to two adult women.

Four clients are due to appear in court later, the Telegraaf said.