Agents of the National Police have arrested a 26-year-old man in Fuengirola as the alleged perpetrator of crimes of corruption of minors and coercion. The detainee contacted victims aged between 15 and 16 through social media and instant messaging.
Agents of the National Police assigned to the Technological Crimes Group of the Provincial Police Station of Jaén have arrested a 26-year-old young man in the Malaga town of Fuengirola as the alleged author of the crimes of corruption of minors and coercion. The investigation, dubbed 'Operation Laurel', was initiated following several complaints filed in Jaén and Madrid.
According to the National Police, the detainee used social media and instant messaging applications to contact the victims, all of whom were minors aged between 15 and 16, fully aware of their status as minors. Once he established a relationship with them, he requested sexually explicit material.
As the requests increased and became more explicit, the minors began to refuse to continue. It was then that the alleged perpetrator began the coercion, harassing and threatening the victims with publishing and disseminating the intimate material he already possessed if they did not comply with his demands.
The agents confirmed that the detainee carried out this same operation with victims residing in different parts of Spain. Following his location and arrest in Fuengirola, his place of residence, the National Police has charged him with both the incidents reported in Jaén and those recorded in Madrid for alleged crimes of coercion and corruption of minors.
The operation has been coordinated among various police units. The arrested individual has been placed at the disposal of the judiciary, as confirmed by sources from the investigation. The agents continue to analyse the seized devices to determine if there are more victims.
These types of crimes, known as 'grooming' or sexual cyberbullying of minors, have seen an increase in recent years. Authorities recommend that parents supervise their children's online activity and report any suspicions to the National Police or the Civil Guard.
The arrest in Fuengirola highlights the importance of collaboration between different police stations to pursue these crimes that transcend provincial borders. Investigators are working to clarify the full extent of the detainee's activities.
For the moment, more details about the identity of the arrested individual or whether there were prior links with the victims beyond digital contact are unknown. The investigation remains open.
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