Three teenage boys have been charged after dozens of intimate photos of underage girls were distributed online.

The pictures were posted on Instagram last year of girls at schools in the Tilburg area. Police obtained the email addresses linked to the posts within a week but took several months to track down the culprits.

The three suspects are two 17-year-old boys from Waalwijk and Poppel and a 16-year-old from Tilburg. Omroep Brabant said the victims thought they were sharing photographs privately with friends and were unaware they had been posted on the internet.

One of the boys is accused of distributing sexually explicit photographs online while the other two are accused of defamation and slander. They will appear in court on February 13 where they will have the option of accepting a fine or work punishment. If they refuse the case will go before a youth court.

Two girls were originally questioned in connection with the case before being released after police concluded they were not involved.