National Police Arrest 16 Individuals for Child Pornography
Arrests and Investigation
The National Police have detained 16 individuals, including one in the province of Las Palmas, and are investigating an additional five for the possession and distribution of child pornography. This follows the seizure of thousands of images and videos depicting “serious” sexual assaults on minors.
Profile of Those Arrested
Among those arrested is a secondary school teacher in Barcelona, as well as two individuals in Cáceres and Lugo who have been remanded in custody due to the severity of the content they shared and viewed. Another suspect in Girona has allegedly distributed over 85,000 files of minors, which he photographed from his home while they were in the school playground.
The 16 detainees are spread across Girona, Barcelona, Cáceres, Castellón, Asturias, Las Palmas, Lugo, Madrid, Guipúzcoa, Cantabria, Valencia, and Pontevedra. The five individuals being investigated but not detained are located in Madrid, Navarra, and Valladolid.
International Collaboration
The investigation involved cooperation with international law enforcement agencies, notably with the assistance of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This collaboration led to the identification of 21 individuals linked to these activities across 12 different provinces in Spain.
Detection of Illicit Content
This operation began when agents from the Central Cybercrime Unit detected the exchange of illicit material among various individuals via Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks. These platforms enable users worldwide to connect with one another and share nearly any type of file.
Call for Public Cooperation
The National Police are appealing for public assistance in the potential identification of more individuals involved in these activities. They urge anyone with information regarding the possession, distribution, or storage of child pornography to report it, assuring complete anonymity and confidentiality.
