A 35-year-old Hispanic man with a history of abuse has been re-arrested in San Vicente del Raspeig. He faced three charges related to corrupting minors, a month after being released provisionally following a prior complaint about similar conduct. After the latest arrest, he was freed again while the judicial process proceeded on complaints lodged by the families of three young children whom he allegedly offered money for sexual activities. According to the complainants, the man allegedly proposed accompanying them to either his home or another location and suggested that they consent to being touched, all in exchange for different sums of money ranging from 50 to 500 euros. [Citation: Civil Guard statement, Alicante region]
This investigation is being carried out by the Civil Guard in San Vicente del Raspeig. Authorities are not ruling out the possibility that the individual, who had previously been arrested three times for sexual abuse of minors in the same municipality, may have more victims. [Citation: Local police briefing]
The first of the most recent complaints was filed in mid-April. Two young girls, aged 15 and 16, were walking along a central street in San Vicente around eight in the evening on April 16 when a man approached them. He offered to accompany them home and showed them several 50-euro notes, initially proposing 250 euros and then increasing the offer to 500 euros. The girls declined and moved toward a busier, more crowded area, managing to deter the man and avoid harm. [Citation: Victim statements]
Four days later, as investigators continued to pursue leads to identify the person responsible for the alleged exploitation of minors, another similar complaint emerged. It occurred at the same time and on a different street in San Vicente. In this case, the man showed two 50-euro bills and stated that he would pay if they allowed him to engage in sexual activity. The family of the second victim filed a formal complaint, prompting renewed police attention. [Citation: Civil Guard records]
With the information provided by the victims, Civil Guard investigators were able to locate the alleged perpetrator promptly and arrest him at the start of May. He faces three counts of corrupting minors, while a local court had granted his release after his March 24 arrest on charges of harassment, just over a month before the new offenses were allegedly committed. There have also been two additional arrests in 2021 for similar incidents in the same municipality. [Citation: Regional court docket]