THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A man wanted in Canada for alleged involvement in online abuse was sentenced Thursday to nearly 11 years in prison by a Dutch court for cyberbullying dozens of young girls and gay men.

The court on Thursday convicted the 38-year-old man, identified only as Aydin C., for fraud and blackmail via the internet, according to a statement from the Dutch legal authorities.

It gave him the maximum possible sentence of 10 years and eight months, "because of the devastating consequences his behaviour has on the young lives of the girls'' in particular, and out of fear that he could commit new offences if released, the statement said.

He pretended to be a boy or girl and persuaded his victims to perform sexual acts in front of a webcam, then posted the images online or blackmailed them by threatening to do so. He was accused of abusing 34 girls and five gay men, behaviour the court called "astonishing.'' In some cases, the abuse lasted years.