German fugitive wanted for abusing 13-year-old girl arrested in Vélez-Málaga

The suspect was detained in Vélez-Málaga by National Police officers as part of Operation Fugas. Investigators revealed he had been living in a hut on the Axarquía coastline and doing maintenance work to keep a low profile while evading international authorities.

A European Arrest Warrant was triggered after the man failed to serve a prison sentence in Germany for aggravated child sexual abuse and child pornography offences.

According to police, the offences date back to between September 2021 and January 2022. The suspect initially contacted a 13-year-old girl via a website, leading to explicit chat messages and video calls. German court records state he subsequently sexually abused the victim at a guesthouse in Leipzig, Saxony.

The joint operation was carried out by the National Police Central Organised Crime Brigade’s Fugitive Group alongside local officers in Malaga. Detectives launched the manhunt after receiving intelligence indicating the fugitive had fled to southern Spain.

He was apprehended on 11 August. Officers confirmed the suspect did not appear to have committed any new offences during his stay in Spain, though it remains unclear how long he had been living in the country.

Following his arrest, the man was remanded in custody and placed at the disposal of Spain’s High Court to begin extradition proceedings under the European Arrest Warrant protocol.