Simon Wade
FIVE children have been freed from a prostitution network that had been selling them for sex since 2019.
Sources in Guardia Civil’s Operation Terciaria revealed the victims had been prostituted since they were as young as 13.
The female ‘pimp’ and abusers have been caught and all 10 arrested for the alleged crimes of prostitution of minors, sexual exploitation, corruption of minors and abuse and assault on minors.
The operation began in June 2020, after one of the victim’s mothers found a series of WhatsApp messages on her daughter’s mobile, revealing strange behaviour.
It was found that this girl and four others were being exploited for sex by the gang of nine men – the broker being a woman.
Police confirmed that she had built a network of clients through online advertisements and sex chat-rooms.
More than half of any ‘proceeds’ went to her, going as far as driving the children to her clients’ homes in and around Almeria.
Some of the exploitation was carried out in secluded car parks, under the supervision of the woman.
Operation Terciaria was executed in three parts:
- The woman was arrested first and children returned to their parents.
- The two most prolific abusers were then arrested, after abusing the children up to three times a week.
- The remaining seven men in the network were then arrested.
The Organic Unit of the Judicial Police of the Command of the Civil Guard of Almería confirmed that all the children are now safe.
Queries can be made to the Peripheral Communication Office of the Guardia Civil Command of Almería on 950621956 or 680411337
