THE NATIONAL POLICE have arrested a 41-year-old man accused of grooming young girls aged between nine and 17.
The suspect, who was detained in Asturias, was posing as a teenager on social media, and would gain the confidence of his victims before persuading them to send him videos with sexual content.
The investigation began after a woman in Cadiz province reported to the police that her 12-year-old daughter was being manipulated online. Not only was she persuaded to send sexual images to the groomer, but also developed a psychological dependence on him according to a police statement.
Two days later, another mother in Castellon reported a similar case to the authorities, after her 12-year-old daughter had been coerced into not just sending a video of herself to the man, but also of her nine-year-old sister.
Investigators have so far determined that the man was first passing himself off as a minor, before later revealing his true age and circumstances. He also attempted to arrange meetings with his victims in person.
The suspect, who lives in Gijon, is married and has a son.
In 2014, he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl. For that crime he was given a suspended two-year prison sentence.
The National Police advise parents to supervise their children when they are online, and recommend that minors do not have access to devices when they are alone.
Read more:
- Pervert pretends to be Justin Bieber fan to trick girl into sending him nude photos in Spain’s Murcia
- Seven-year stretch for Catholic priest for grooming and sexually abusing boy in Spain’s Murcia area
- Paedophile in Spain gets massive 686 years in jail after being convicted of 227 crimes against children
