International operation arrests 17 people for child sexual exploitation, three in Spain
An international child sexual abuse network is dismantled with arrests in eight countries. The operation, coordinated by AMERIPOL, seized 19 electronic devices.
Child exploitation network dismantled in international operation
According to El Confidencial, the National Police arrested 17 people for offences of sexual assault, child prostitution and production of child sexual abuse material. Three were detained in Spain; the remainder in Argentina (2), Bolivia (1), Brazil (4), Colombia (2), Guatemala (1), Peru (3) and the Dominican Republic (1).
The investigation, directed by AMERIPOL with participation from 15 countries, began in July 2024 after identifying in Zaragoza a person who was using minors from his family circle to produce sexual material that he distributed on digital platforms. A second suspect in Toledo allegedly facilitated that distribution and offered money in exchange for sexual relations with a minor.
During house searches, officers seized 19 mobile phones, four computers and four hard drives or USB memory devices. Analysis of the equipment revealed that the suspects had used minors from their family circle to record videos that subsequently circulated on various digital platforms.
The proceedings made it possible to identify people in various countries linked to the exchange and distribution of child pornographic material for profit. Those arrested face charges of sexual assault of minors under 16 years of age, production and distribution of child sexual abuse material, indecent exposure, child prostitution and child grooming—online manipulation tactics for sexual exploitation.
Police have highlighted that the operation underscores the need for specialised analysis of digital evidence and international cooperation to combat child exploitation, particularly when digital platforms facilitate the exchange of illicit content among users from different countries.
Source: El Confidencial