Paedophile who fled during trial in Malaga five years ago sentenced to 23 years in prison
The defendant sexually assaulted two minors, 13 and 15, on the Costa del Sol and filmed child pornography content with one of the victims
The man, 34, who was arrested in the Netherlands five years after fleeing trial, has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for the sexual assault of two minors, 13 and 15, and for producing child pornography materials with the former.
In June, the defendant appeared before the court in Malaga, after an international arrest warrant granted his detention. However, the events that led to this date back to January 2016, when the man, 26 at the time, befriended a group of minors who used to hang out near his home in Fuengirola. According to the court, his actions had one sole purpose - "obtaining some kind of sexual satisfaction" and he was fully aware of the teenagers' ages.
Once he had gained their trust, he convinced one of the girls, 13, to accompany him to his home, where he sexually assaulted her on up to four occasions. That same month he also persuaded a 15-year-old boy from the same group to take him to the back of a building, where he abused him.
He also produced pornographic content showing how he was pretending to have sex with the half-naked girl. Two other children testified that he had shown them the material, expressing pride in it.
The investigation began on 27 April 2016, after the police received information from an anonymous person who reported possible sexual assault of minors. About ten days later, after taking a statement from the girl, the National Police arrested the man.
Although the court has not found evidence of violence or intimidation, the act constitutes a crime, as a child under the age of 16 cannot give valid consent to sexual relations.
Stalled proceedings
The defendant fled the country after a couple of court hearings, taking advantage of his provisional release. He was arrested only a few months ago and the court ordered his provisional imprisonment in order to avoid another escape.
Almost a decade after the incidents took place, the court has issued a sentence for 23 years in prison, despite the maximum of 20 years allowed by the law. In addition, he has a restraining order of 20 years in relation to the two victims, who are now 22 and 24.
He has also been disqualified from exercising any profession or trade that involves contact or indirect relationship with minors, whether paid or unpaid, for 23 years, as well as a further 15 years of probation. The man has been ordered to pay 60,000 euros in compensation to the first victim and a 15,000 to the second for the moral damage caused. The young woman still suffers the psychological consequences of those events, which prevent her from leading a normal life. She struggles with leaving her home and interacting with people outside her family.
