Revealed: Dutch volleyball star, 29, at centre of massive row after being picked for the Olympics despite raping a 12-year-old British girl in 2014 is married to glamorous athlete from Germany

A convicted kid rapist whose action for nan Dutch volleyball squad has sparked a monolithic statement up of nan Olympics is joined to a glamorous chap prima jock pinch whom he has a young son, we tin reveal.

Steven van de Velde, 29, has been selected for nan squad contempt his condemnation for raping a 12-year-old British woman successful 2014 erstwhile he was 19 and she was excessively young to consent - sparking a statement which threatens to overshadow nan opening of nan Paris games.

The 29-year-old from nan Netherlands will return to nan soil connected Sunday greeting for his first formation volleyball lucifer erstwhile nan games get underway successful nan French superior this weekend.

His inclusion successful nan Dutch squad nevertheless has caused immense contention and his ain nationalist committee has had to return other information measures - including stopping him from staying astatine nan Olympic colony pinch astir of nan remainder of nan country's athletes and banning him from giving media interviews.

Despite his condemnation van de Velde has successfully rebuilt his life since leaving situation to nan grade that he is now joined to a precocious floor plan chap volleyball pro from Germany.

Kim Behrens and van de Velde joined successful 2022 and person a young boy together.

Behrens, a constabulary serviceman arsenic good arsenic an athlete, dotes connected her 6' 6" gangly hubby and regularly posts loved-up contented connected societal media astir their lives together.

In December 2021 she wrote: 'It's astir apt clip to officially denote it. Steven and I are having our babe successful March.'

Then successful January 2022, they saw successful nan New Year by getting married.

Behrens posted a bid of wedding pics, writing: 'Mr & Mrs van de Velde. 01.01.2022 My twelvemonth could not person started immoderate better!'

After nan babe was calved she again was adoring of her hubby writing: 'You & me! And now pinch him! I deliberation I americium a witnesser of axenic happiness and emotion successful life!'

He had initially begun talking to nan woman aft liking a photograph of her connected Facebook.

They began to speak connected a regular ground complete Facebook, Snapchat and Skype earlier he arranged to sojourn her, getting an easyJet formation to Luton earlier arriving astatine her location municipality Milton Keynes connected August 2 2014.

The woman would later show detectives that van de Velde made her consciousness 'special' - and that he knew her existent age.

The schoolgirl told her family she was going to enactment pinch a friend earlier going to meet him successful nan town.

They tried to book a edifice room but aft struggling to do this they went alternatively to section beauty spot Furzton Lake, wherever they drank Baileys earlier nan woman was sexually assaulted.

They past spent nan nighttime sleeping nether cardboard boxes nether a stairway astatine Premier Inn.

The pursuing greeting erstwhile her family were retired she took him backmost to nan family location wherever he raped her successful her sister's bedroom.

He didn't usage contraception and advised her to return a greeting aft pill.

It was her sojourn to a family readying session that alerted nan authorities, who were called successful owed to nan girl's young property - conscionable awkward of her 13th birthday.

A European warrant was issued for his apprehension connected kid activity charges - he would person different been training pinch nan 2016 Olympic team.

The sportsman was extradited to nan UK and erstwhile nan lawsuit came to tribunal 2 years later he past admitted 3 counts of rape against a child.

Linda Strudwick, defending, insisted it had been a 'spur of nan infinitesimal decision' to alert to England and said van de Velde was not a 'predatory young man.'

Aylesbury Crown Court heard that his unfortunate had later self-harmed aft nan trauma of her brushwood pinch him.

Judge Francis Sheridan moreover told van de Velde astatine nan time: 'Your hopes of representing your state now dishonesty arsenic a shattered dream.'

And his ain defence counsel, Linda Strudwick, besides said: 'He's mislaid a stellar sporting profession and he's being branded a rapist. It's plainly a profession extremity for him.'

However van de Velde, sentenced to 4 years successful prison, was transferred from nan UK backmost to nan Netherlands to service nan remainder nether a pact betwixt nan 2 countries.

The pact allowed for his charges and condemnation to beryllium adjusted successful statement pinch Dutch law, meaning nan complaint of rape was changed to 'fornication' - and this past meant he was eligible for merchandise successful 2017, having only served 1 twelvemonth of his original sentence.

Van de Velde said a twelvemonth later: 'I cannot reverse it, truthful I will person to carnivore nan consequences. It has been nan biggest correction of my life.'

The NSPCC astatine nan clip condemned nan decision, adding that his 'lack of remorse and self-pity is breathtaking'.

As if to corroborate this position van de Velde was quoted arsenic saying soon aft his release: 'I person been branded arsenic a activity monster, arsenic a paedophile. That I americium not, really not.'

Upon his merchandise nan Dutch Volleyball Association allowed him to proceed his profession arsenic a formation volleyball subordinate - culminating successful nan determination to let him to spell to Paris.

Vans de Velde's German brother-in-law Kevin Behrens is besides a sports prima who plays shot for starring Bundesliga squad VfL Wolfsburg and has been capped by nan Germany nationalist team.