A 29-year-old man from Houten, near Utrecht, has been jailed for six years for the online abuse of dozens of young girls and the sexual abuse of a minor.

The case came to light after one of his victims, a 12-year-old girl, committed suicide, and “worrying” messages between the man and the girl were found on her tablet. The police investigation found the man had contact with a large number of girls, most aged between 10 and 14, for several years.

The man also met one of his victims, aged 12 and abused her sexually.

The court said the man showed a lack of remorse for his young victims, and even the suicide of one was not enough to stop him. “He put his own needs above all else and only stopped when he was arrested by police,” the court said.

The public prosecution department had called for an eight-year jail term, describing the case as “evil”.