Onno Hoes announced his resignation as mayor of Maastricht on Wednesday after his dating a 20-year-old man became public.

Last week the 53-year-old got into political trouble when the young man put messages on the internet that would have been sent to him by Hoes. Later that week, TV show PowNews showed images of Hoes dating the boy, who had a hidden camera capturing shots of the mayor making sexual hints at him.

"The city is struggling greatly with the effects of a highly controversial press publication," Hoes stated. "I can no longer tolerate that towards my city, the board and to myself."

Hoes also said he will take legal action against the man who published the texts and against PowNews. "Last week, a part of my life, to my great dismay, became public willfully and shamefully," he added.

Last December, another affair involving Hoes became public, when photos of him kissing a 25-year-old man went public. At that time, he was still married to Dutch TV host Albert Verlinde. After that affair, he promised the council that he would no longer become discredited again and that he would behave decently.

Earlier on Wednesday, Hoes announced his departure from the city council and the board of mayor and aldermen. He will continue his work until a successor is appointed.

Hoes, a politician of the VVD, became mayor of Maastricht, a city in the southern province of Limburg, in November 2010. Endit

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