More than 200 mobile phones, hard drives, USB drives and other storage devices, totalling 18,000 gigabytes, have been seized in Alicante. This substantial cache of child abuse material belonged to a cybersexual predator residing in the city. The individual, who posed as a minor online to obtain images of his victims—all under 16 years of age—held a massive private collection.
The Guardia Civil has arrested the individual in Alicante and charged him with 36 counts of sexual assault against victims under the age of 16. Officers have identified more than 20 particularly vulnerable victims, aged eight and upwards, located throughout Spain and in various locations abroad.
The operation, named ‘Achillea’, began in 2024 after a complaint was made by a victim in Gran Canaria. Initial actions led to a search of the accused’s home, where the significant haul of storage devices was recovered.
The Judicial Police Team of the Guardia Civil in Santa María de Guía conducted an analysis of the 200 data devices, discovering a large number of illicit video files and images.
To obtain these images, the perpetrator used grooming techniques, posing as ‘Juan’, a fake minor, to deceive his targets. The cyber-predator spent over a decade contacting victims through messaging apps and social media. He gained their trust over time, emotionally manipulating them and, in some cases, becoming their boyfriend to coerce the underage girls into recording or photographing themselves performing sexual acts.
The investigation led the Guardia Civil to locate and arrest the perpetrator in Alicante. The Civil and Preliminary Investigation Section of the Court of First Instance of Santa María de Guía has ordered his imprisonment without bail.
