Central Cybercrime Unit agents of the Mossos d’Esquadra arrested a 31-year-old man in Madrid on charges of possessing and distributing child pornography, along with a sexual assault offense. A report had alerted authorities that the suspect indicated through a buying-and-selling mobile app that he abused his nonverbal son, nine years old, in a disturbing admission that prompted immediate scrutiny.
Specifically, the detainee, who planned to relocate to Barcelona, used the platform to reach guardians and tutors for reinforcing his nine-year-old son’s learning. In one contact linked to a job offer, he proposed money in exchange for sexual acts in the presence of the child and even sent photographs showing the minor in a state of undress.
The investigation began after investigators recognized that the sent photograph could constitute child pornography. They tracked the profile’s IP address on the app back to Madrid. On August 8, 2022, Mossos d’Esquadra requested support from the National Police to interview the suspect regarding child pornography, and his phone was seized during the inquiry.
The suspect claimed he did not have children or any contact with minors. With judicial authorization, authorities analyzed his mobile device and discovered material involving sexual exploitation of minors, including ten videos and 76 photographs depicting prepubescent victims being subjected to sexual acts.
Investigators noted the suspect’s advanced photo and video editing skills, used to alter scenes and obscure the identities of victims and perpetrators. They recovered messages on the suspect’s messaging apps in which he acknowledged possessing and consuming child pornography, and described his history of abusing minors along with an expressed desire to continue such activity.
Further inquiries revealed contact with other online profiles sharing pedophilic content and a clear risk of future offending. As a result, on February 28, 2024, Mossos d’Esquadra arrested him again in Madrid and, together with the National Police, conducted a search of his home. The suspect was placed in the custody of Madrid’s guarding court the following day.
The ongoing investigation aims to identify the minor victims who appeared in the images the suspect distributed and to determine the full extent of the offenses involved. .