Malaga child abuse: man suspected of soliciting sexual images from teenager has record of two previous reports

The man, 20, who the National Police arrested on 28 April on suspicion of grooming a 14-year-old boy from Malaga, has two previous files for similar offences, as sources close to the investigation have told SUR.

The most recent complaint was key in the judicial authority's decision to provisionally imprison the suspected perpetrator.

The latest victim and his mother went to the provincial police station in Malaga to report the abuse on 16 April. According to the boy's account, a stranger had contacted him through Snapchat, posing as a student from his school.

During the course of their conversations, the man allegedly asked the boy to start exchanging sexually explicit images. He used the advantages of Snapchat - an app where photos and videos disappear automatically after the receiver sees them.

The suspect quickly steered the conversation towards sexual topics. Despite the teenager's refusal, the suspect persisted and ended up showing his own genitals during a video call.

After the victim reported the incident, the juvenile unit opened an investigation. They identified, beyond any doubt, the alleged perpetrator: a 20-year-old man residing in Valladolid, in the north of Spain. According to sources, he first appeared in files concerning similar cases in 2023. The second complaint is from 2025.

The Malaga investigators requested collaboration from their counterparts in Valladolid to carry out the arrest of the suspect for his alleged involvement in a crime of corruption of minors.

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.