arrested in July
The National Police arrested the suspect on July 7 for alleged involvement in the events. The investigation continues as authorities break down and analyze the massive amount of computer material involved. The seized material includes footage of minors nude and, in some cases, engaging in relations with the arrested person, as well as snapshots of minors consuming laughing gas and alcohol inside the property. The full collection is estimated at more than 70,000 pages in PDF format.
A search of the suspect’s home turned up numerous alcohol bottles, video game consoles, small trinkets, tobacco products, hashish, large quantities of pasta and fried tomatoes, numerous unopened underwear packages and other items. The case remains under review as investigators press forward with the complex examination of the material at hand.
The accused, who had previously been acquitted of some charges, faces continued proceedings. The case is being handled by Investigation Court No. 11 in Malaga and is still active as the investigation progresses.
The inquiry, conducted by officers from the Minor Group (GRUME) of the Malaga Provincial Police Station, began last February after an anonymous tip alerted authorities to a person of interest in the capital city. The tip prompted a formal investigation into possible exploitation of minors through a pattern of gifts, drugs, and other incentives used to obtain explicit material and encounters with underage individuals.
Initial findings indicated that the suspect, a seventy-year-old living alone with no children, maintained social interactions primarily with young people from various countries who were in vulnerable situations. He reportedly contributed to their activities by paying gym fees for several youths and presenting himself in ways that suggested close family ties, even though a real relation did not exist in many cases. The suspect also maintained a large social media presence with thousands of followers, most of whom were minors.
As the investigation progressed, investigators confirmed that some victims did not know the suspect personally but had contact through the online and offline networks surrounding him. Instances were documented of the suspect providing clothes for occasions such as graduations and giving money and drugs to youths, alongside arranging visits to his residence that allowed access to alcohol, drugs, and entertainment facilities like game consoles and cable TV with sports and music channels.
The scope of the case suggests that the total number of victims exceeds the initial counts, with a focus on minors and teenagers estimated at up to twenty individuals as the investigators continue their work. The GRUME team has emphasized the ongoing nature of the inquiry and the need to thoroughly examine the extensive digital evidence collected in the search and subsequent analyses.
The investigation began after an anonymous report and has since expanded as detectives traced social interactions, financial support, and coordinated activities that facilitated the exploitation of young people. The work continues to piece together the full extent of the suspect’s contact with minors and how these relationships developed over time, including the use of gifts, money, and drugs to gain access and control over the victims.