Simon Hunter
THE NATIONAL POLICE have arrested a 41-year-old man accused of grooming young girls aged between nine and 17.
The suspect, who was detained in Asturias, was posing as a teenager on social media, and would gain the confidence of his victims before persuading them to send him videos with sexual content.
The investigation began after a woman in Cadiz province reported to the police that her 12-year-old daughter was being manipulated online. Not only was she persuaded to send sexual images to the groomer, but also developed a psychological dependence on him according to a police statement.
Two days later, another mother in Castellon reported a similar case to the authorities, after her 12-year-old daughter had been coerced into not just sending a video of herself to the man, but also of her nine-year-old sister.
Investigators have so far determined that the man was first passing himself off as a minor, before later revealing his true age and circumstances. He also attempted to arrange meetings with his victims in person.
The suspect, who lives in Gijon, is married and has a son.
In 2014, he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl. For that crime he was given a suspended two-year prison sentence.
The National Police advise parents to supervise their children when they are online, and recommend that minors do not have access to devices when they are alone.
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