The Spanish National Police have successfully apprehended a man in Alcorcón, Madrid, for allegedly photographing his partner’s underage daughter in a compromising manner while she slept.
Shockingly, the suspect would undress the minor while she was asleep, all the while capturing images. These images were subsequently distributed through a well-known instant messaging social network.
Additionally, a man from a municipality in the province of Guadalajara has also been detained for receiving these explicit images of the minor. This individual was part of a social media group where extremely explicit child pornography was being circulated.
Citizen collaboration
The arrest was made possible through the active collaboration of citizens. They utilised this email address to report their concerns about child pornography. One citizen reported being added without consent to a messaging group exchanging explicit material involving minors.
Specialised agents from the Central Cybercrime Unit initiated an investigation, setting up surveillance on the communication channel. This effort identified a Spanish user consistently sharing highly explicit child pornography. The subsequent inquiries led to the location of the suspect in a municipality in the province of Guadalajara.
Upon investigating the suspect’s residence, law enforcement officers found a significant amount of explicit material on his mobile phone. Furthermore, traces of distributing these files and engaging in sexually explicit conversations with underage individuals from Latin America via social media were discovered.
Explicit photography
The gravity of the situation increased when it was revealed that four of the confiscated images were taken in Spain. These disturbing pictures depicted a six-year-old girl asleep, with an adult exposing her genitals by removing her underwear. The suspect confirmed the authenticity of the images and provided information about the person who sent them. This was a supposed woman residing in Fuenlabrada, Madrid.
With the imminent danger of harm to the child, investigators intensified their efforts and swiftly identified the perpetrator. However, by this point, he had gone into hiding. Despite not residing at known addresses or frequenting familiar locations, the investigators, through a detailed analysis of the suspect’s social media activity, pinpointed his current location in Alcorcón, Madrid. It was further revealed that the minor victim was the daughter of the suspect’s partner.
Search and arrest
In light of the ongoing threats, urgent action was taken. The investigators sought and obtained a search warrant from the Alcorcón magistrate’s court. This was executed during the early hours of December 1. The victim and her mother were relocated to a safe location by members of the Central Unit for Family and Women’s Assistance, while experts from the Central Cybercrime Unit conducted the search.
During the search, incriminating evidence linking the suspect to the crimes was discovered. This included the phone number used, call records, the clothing worn by the child in the photos, and conversations with third parties where the suspect posed as a woman with daughters interested in inappropriate activities.
Following the arrest and the suspect’s appearance in court, he was remanded in provisional custody, and a restraining order was issued to protect the victim. The authorities are continuing their efforts to dismantle any broader network involved in the distribution of child pornography.
Also read: Historic action against extensive child pornography network in Spain
