US Senate admits agent worked in Holland

The following is a translation of the lead article in Trouw (May 15, 1987), one of the largest Dutch daily newspapers. The [NAMBLA] Bulletin added the quotes to "child pornography."

Last year, a special American undercover agent was in Amsterdam in order to assist the Amsterdam police combatting "child pornography." That is what the chief of the American Custums Investigations Division told an investigative committee of the American Senate. The presence of the special undercover agent was revealed in the report of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the US Senate, the Senate subcommittee which was involved in investigating child pornography. The report, dated October 9, 1986, was published by the US Government Printing Office.

A representative of American Customs confirmed that an undercover agent in Holland had been active. "He in the meantime has completed his work assignment and left Holland," the American said. A spokesperson for the American police denied that an undercover agent is presently working in the capital city. According to him, Minister of Justice Korthals Altes in February 1986 emphasized that the appearance of foreign infiltrators outside of the Dutch police and Justice administration was unacceptable.

The involvement of America in the fight against "child pornography," according to lawyer W.J. van Bennekom, clearly came to light in the raid on the Amsterdam bookshop/gallery Intermale on Spuistraat by the Amsterdam morals police. Detectives confiscated 15 of the 46 photos at an exhibition by Don Mader, an American photographer. The Ministry of Justice came to the conclusion that these photos were "child pornography." In contradiction claimed there were indications that the raid was made under foreign pressure. "Detectives of the Amsterdam morals police visited my client the evening before the raid. According to my client the detectives told him that this wasn't their idea but that they had to do it because of pressure from the American and English authorities. If that's what the detectives themselves say there must be something to it."

Holland and the US decided in 1985 to work together combatting "child pornography." According to the Dutch Ministry of Justice, this cooperation would consist of maintaining and exchanging information. Information about "child pornography" would be assembled by the Central Investigations Service in The Hague. The American investigation committee initially had sharply criticized Holland for its soft position with respect to "child pornography." Later, the condemnations were slightly moderated. A task force set up by Korthals Altes under the direction of Public Prosecutor de Wit concluded in August last year that only sporadically did one come across "child pornography" in Holland.

source: Article 'US Senate Admits Agent Worked in Holland' by Tim Dekkers; Translated from Dutch to English; Trouw; 15 May 1987