Spanish police warn of covert sexual abuse risk in online games for children

The National Police in Spain have warned of the prevalence of sexual abuse in online spaces, where the main targets are often minors. The most recent criminal investigation identified a man who had been stalking children in the video game Fortnite. He had groomed dozens of victims and sexually assaulted a seven-year-old boy in Malaga, where he was hiding.

The monstrous incident is not an isolated case. The police warn of the serious risk hidden in children's online video games. The perpetrator's profile is usually an adult who poses as a player and offers digital rewards, virtual coins or other advantages within the game in order to make the children send him images of a sexual nature.

Video game environments are created to offer a space for creativity and socialising. Unfortunately, these platforms with millions of users from around the world, who design their worlds and share experiences, can turn into a trap for children and teenagers. As the police warn, "the very freedom and connectivity that foster their success are also their main vulnerability. Open spaces allow adults to hide under false identities, interact with minors unsupervised and circumvent age-monitoring or parental verification systems".

One of the main problems is the ease with which minors can state that they are older when registering, which gives them access to functions and chats that are not suitable for their age. This seemingly harmless act increases the risk of exposure to inappropriate content and contacts. Once someone states that they are not a minor, the automatic system that offers children protection is deactivated. For this reason, the National Police recommend that minors and their families always indicate the child's real age when registering in any digital service to ensure that the system puts all protective measures in place.

In addition, it is important to note that, despite the seriousness of an offence, an international investigation is much more complicated when the child and the abuser are in different countries. Grooming and sexual exploitation that happen in online spaces across borders require judicial and law enforcement cooperation between countries, which can delay criminal proceedings.

Minors lack sufficient psychological maturity to appreciate the seriousness of a harmful proposal, which makes it easy for them to be manipulated by promises of digital popularity, group membership or progress within the game. This type of practice constitutes a crime of corruption of minors and sexual exploitation in the online environment.

In addition, the games themselves generate a fictitious and addictive need in children to obtain coins or rewards, very similar to the mechanics of gambling or other addictions. This psychological pressure makes many children feel obliged to accept abusive conditions in order to advance in the game or maintain their status within the virtual community.

The force recommends that parents:

- Maintain a constant dialogue with children about internet use;

- Regularly review digital devices and accounts;

- Establish age-appropriate parental control systems;

- Immediately report any suspicious behaviour without ever blaming the child;

- Ensure that minors register their real age to activate security filters.

The police also recommend paying attention to warning signs that could indicate that a child is a victim of online sexual abuse: sudden behavioural changes, sudden isolation, attemps to hide the device, unusual spending on payment platforms or excessive interest in virtual rewards.

Authorities remind parents that child protection in the digital environment requires their active involvement, as well as that of educators and institutions. In addition, the police state that digital companies must actively collaborate to enforce security measures in order to prevent criminals from taking advantage of the natural vulnerability of minors.