Prosecutors are seeking a total of 162 years in prison for a man accused of 12 counts of corrupting minors through the possession, production, and distribution of pornographic material. The case, heard at the Second Section of the Provincial Court of Alicante, involves allegations of 11 counts of sexual abuse and 11 counts of exhibitionism involving minors. Three of the abuse charges involve digital penetration, occurring during online video calls where the accused allegedly instructed victims to touch themselves and insert objects into their private parts.
During the proceedings in Alicante, the defendant initially denied the charges, claiming he only used video chat sites and took screenshots which he saved to Google Drive. However, after hearing testimony from police officers, he changed his stance, asking for forgiveness from the forensic experts who had to review the material. He cited financial difficulties and issues with alcohol as reasons for seeking an escape, though he insisted he had always respected minors in his personal life and never intended to cause harm.
The investigation began after officers searched his home on January 18th 2022, seizing hard drives and mobile phones. Analysis of P2P software, specifically Emule, revealed that files were being shared automatically upon being downloaded. Officers discovered searches for terms such as “ten years” and found content featuring children aged between 10 and 14. Investigators were able to link the man to the crimes by identifying his dressing gown and bathroom in the background of video chat recordings, leading them to track his IP address.
Evidence from a mobile phone suggested the accused posed as a 17-year-old boy to manipulate victims into performing sexual acts. The defence lawyer argued that the charges of distribution should not apply, claiming there was no intent to share the files and that the software performed this action automatically. The lawyer further requested that the court consider the defendant’s lack of previous convictions and noted that none of the victims had appeared in person. The trial in Alicante has now concluded and is awaiting a verdict.
