Cecilio Lera Blanco, the current socialist mayor of Castroverde de Campos, has been sentenced to two years in prison by the Zamora Court. A teen, aged sixteen, was reportedly offered 300 euros in exchange for sexual activity. The case focuses on allegations of sexual coercion and crimes involving a minor, and it has sparked discussions about electoral integrity and accountability ahead of January 2025.
A council member, aged sixty-nine, faced accusations of engaging with the minor in an inappropriate manner. The events allegedly occurred after the adolescent, then fifteen, left a bar in Castroverde, with prosecutors detailing the exchange and the offer presented by the public official. The indictment outlines the conduct attributed to Lera Blanco, who is described as connected to a family involved in the case, and notes the impact on a spouse or partner connected to the convicted individual.
The minor met the city councilor in a bar near the city outskirts on November 24, 2021, at around 4:00 p.m. The offer of 300 euros and the subsequent communications were central to the criminal investigation and the prosecution of the town’s former hotelier, who is referenced in the Zamora Prosecutor’s Office documents. The record of these interactions played a decisive role in shaping the case against the mayor of Castroverde de Campos.
“I’ll Pay You to Have Sex”
The communications suggest persistent pressure on the minor, with explicit proposals and an insistence on secrecy. The conversation includes offers of payment, arrangements to meet, and assurances that nothing would happen if the minor complied. The narrative indicates an ongoing effort to persuade the underage individual to engage in sexual activity, culminating in assurances that the minor would be fine with the arrangement.
The prosecution asserts there was a clear intent to engage in sexual relations with a person under the age of sixteen, highlighting the vulnerability of the minor and the legal protections in place to prevent exploitation. The law constrains sexual activity involving minors, acknowledging that consent cannot be given by someone beneath the legal age, and the case stands within that framework.
In this instance, the adolescent was fifteen, which makes the described behavior legally prosecutable. The victim’s age means that consent could not be affirmed, and the actions attributed to the mayor are classified as offenses against a minor under current law. The question of coercion or intimidation is evaluated in the context of the minor’s age and capacity to consent, and authorities consider the conduct to represent sexual abuse in light of the age statute.
Former hotelier Faces Further Charges
The former hotelier is also facing additional prosecutions in the coming months, including accusations of offenses involving minors and two separate sexual assaults on younger individuals who are siblings, with one reported to be fourteen and the other nearly sixteen. Prosecutors have requested the court to consider a total of ten years in prison across these charges, alleging a pattern of behavior aimed at manipulating minors for sexual purposes and arranging meetings at private residences.
According to the Public Ministry’s accusation, the mayor is alleged to have engaged in sexual activity with minors as part of alleged schemes to exploit vulnerable individuals. The court has been asked to determine appropriate penalties for these offenses, with emphasis on the seriousness of offenses against minors and the need for accountability for public figures involved in such acts.
The “Only Yes Is Yes” Law Questioned
The prosecutor’s assessment has been reviewed in light of the recently debated legislation affecting sentencing and prison terms. The case did not rely on the standard interpretation of that reform, and the judiciary has proceeded with its own assessment of the appropriate punishment given the evidence. The same justice department and court population overseeing the case has continued to examine how the new framework would apply to this matter, while the accused has not disputed the core facts related to offering money for sexual activity with a minor.
During proceedings, the court did not suspend the hearing, noting the defendant’s admission of offering money to the fifteen-year-old for sexual intercourse. After consultation with legal counsel and the Public Prosecutor, a settlement was discussed that could reduce the prison term from three years to two, provided the convicted person refrains from any other offense for a period of two years and maintains no contact with the minor as stipulated by the court. If those conditions are met, the term would be considered served. Any breach would trigger immediate enforcement of the remaining sentence.
The terms also require the offender to avoid proximity and communications with the adolescent beyond the agreed terms once the sentence is final and executed.
Additional Sentencing for Other Offenses
The head of the Castroverde Municipal Corporation, affiliated with the PSOE, faced a six-month prison sentence in June related to a restraining order concerning an ex-spouse and gender-violence allegations. The current case will see him serve the two-month component of the two-year sentence after deducting the four months he has already spent in preventive detention for related matters, once the judgment is finalized and all parties are informed.
As proceedings unfold, the individual is expected to comply with the court’s directives and complete the prescribed terms. The situation underscores ongoing concerns about the conduct of public figures and the protections afforded to minors under the law.