The conviction of a former Dutch cybersecurity expert for hacking and blackmailing over a dozen Dutch and international firms resulted in his four-year jail sentence.

Pepijn Van der Stap, a 21-year-old Zandvoort resident, is the main suspect. He was found guilty of several counts, including extortion, hacking into victims’ computers, and money laundering using cryptocurrencies worth at least 2.5 million euros.

The judge gave him a four-year sentence, of which one year was conditional and the other three years were to be served on probation. The Dutch Public Prosecution Service carried out a thorough investigation and recommended a six-year prison term, which led to the current decision.