Malaga child abuse: man poses as 14-year-old boy's schoolmate to groom him

Child abuse

The suspect allegedly exposed his genitals during a video call with the victim, whose family reported the case to the police

Irene Quirante

The police arrested in April a young man from the north-west of Spain for grooming a 14-year-old boy from Malaga by posing as a student from the same school. The suspect allegedly pressured the boy into exchanging sexually explicit images.

The victim and his mother went to the police station on 16 April to report the incident, which led to an investigation by the juvenile unit (Grume). According to the victim's account, the suspect established contact with him and used tactics to gain his trust. Once he had gained it, he quickly steered the conversation towards sexual matters.

It was then that he allegedly asked the boy to exchange sexually explicit images, persisting despite the teenager's refusal. The detainee eventually showed the boy his own genitals during a video call.

This behaviour, known as 'child grooming', involves the perpetrator posing as a minor from the victim's social circle and deceiving them into providing sexually explicit images for their own enjoyment or distribution to others.

The police investigation identified the suspect, which led to his arrest in Valladolid on 28 April. The competent judicial authority has since ordered his imprisonment.

Child grooming prevention

Following this case, the National Police have issued a public awareness campaign to highlight the importance of being vigilant. They stress the need to provide proper training to children and teenagers who use devices with access to social media or instant messaging applications.

According to the police, this includes warning minors to be wary of whoever is on the other side of the social media profile or messaging app. Those with children in their care should clearly and understandably explain that some people online are not who they claim to be.

It is also important to warn minors that they should never share private images and that, if they do, they will automatically lose control of where those images end up. If they are asked to do so, they must immediately tell their parents or guardians.

The National Police advise parents to use the parental control tools available on applications and devices, which, when used properly, can greatly mitigate these types of threats.

Likewise, they should be vigilant if the child exhibits sudden changes in behaviour or evasive and elusive attitudes when using technological devices, as this may be an indication that they are being victimised by some type of crime. If there are such suspicions, the police advise parents to report.