According to The Sun, Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde is facing major criticism over his previous rape conviction as concerns mount over security at the Paris Olympics.

Van de Velde, now 29, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 for raping a 12-year-old girl he met online when he was 19. He was released in 2017.

Due to increased attention to Van de Velde’s presence at this year’s Games, where he qualified to represent the Netherlands, he will not be staying in the Olympic Village or speaking to the media, under the guidance of the Dutch Olympic Committee.

According to Pieter van den Hoogenband, chef de mission of the Dutch Olympic Committee, the adjustments to Van de Velde’s accommodation were necessary.

“He’s not going to downplay it. We have to respect that and help him as a team member to be able to perform,” Van den Hoogenband said, according to The Athletic.

Last month, the Dutch Olympic Committee defended its decision to select Van de Velde to compete in this year’s Summer Games. According to the committee, the athlete has undergone an extensive rehabilitation program.

However, his presence at the Paris Olympics has sparked anger from the public, including human rights groups, The Sun reports.

A petition calling on the International Olympic Committee to ban known sex offenders from competing has garnered nearly 81,000 signatures.

According to The Athletic, Van de Velde was still on the UK sex offenders register as of July 25.

After the sexual encounter in 2014, Van de Velde advised the girl, whose identity has not been released, to take a morning-after pill.

An arrest warrant was issued for Van de Velde after family planning clinic staff alerted the girl’s family and police because of her age.

In 2016, he pleaded guilty to three counts of rape of a child.

“I made that choice in my life when I wasn’t ready for it,” Van de Velde told NOS in a TV interview a year after his release. “I was a bit lost and now I have so much more life experience.”

OLYMPIC GAMES PARIS 2024

According to The Athletic, Van de Velde married Kim van de Velde, a German beach volleyball player who also trained as a police officer, in 2022.

They have a 2 year old son.

Van de Velde will play their first group match in Paris against Italy on Sunday together with 23-year-old Matthew Immers.

The Olympic Games begin on Friday and last until August 11.