The Provincial Court of Seville has confirmed a sentence of 13 years and 7 months in prison for a man who posed as a 14-year-old girl on Instagram to obtain sexual videos from teenagers. The TSJA has upheld the sentence for eight crimes, including sexual abuse and child pornography.
The Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia (TSJA) has confirmed the sentence of 13 years and 7 months in prison for a resident of Seville who created fake profiles on Instagram to simulate being a 14-year-old girl and thus deceive teenagers into sending him sexual material. The sentence, issued by the First Section of the Provincial Court of Seville, considers eight crimes proven, including sexual abuse of a minor and the production of child pornography.
Fake Profiles and Deception on Social Media
The events occurred in the first half of 2017. The accused used the Instagram profiles saritag2004pm and Sara14sev2004, which were intended to give the appearance of being a 14-year-old girl. He also used the profile danig2004_pm, pretending to be a boy of the same age. Through these accounts, he contacted minors, always knowing that they were under 14 years old.
According to the ruling, the man gained the trust of his victims by telling them that he liked them a lot and proposing an exchange: he would send them photos of the supposed minor naked in exchange for them sending him videos and photographs of a sexual nature. In some cases, he even engaged in conversations via WhatsApp to obtain the material.
The investigation revealed that the accused sent the minors videos of girls masturbating and photographs of a minor in underwear. With one of the teenagers, he even managed to get him to record himself touching himself and send it to him.
Threats and Blackmail of One Victim
In one of the cases, the situation escalated. When one of the victims tried to cut off communication, the accused began to threaten him with spreading the sexual videos among his schoolmates. This psychological pressure aggravated the harm caused to the minor, as noted in the account of proven facts.
The Provincial Court of Seville convicted the man of eight crimes: two for sexual abuse of a minor, two for deceiving minors, two for exhibitionism, and two for the production of child pornography. He was only acquitted of one crime of corruption of minors. The total sentence was set at 13 years and 7 months in prison, although the maximum to be served will be 12 years and 9 months, applying triple the highest sentence (4 years and 3 months).
The Appeal to the TSJA and Confirmation of the Sentence
The convicted man's defense appealed the sentence, claiming breach of procedural guarantees, violation of the right to defense, and error in the assessment of the evidence. Among the arguments, it was pointed out that the videos were not shown at trial and that, regarding one minor, it could not be proven that he had sent the material.
The TSJA dismissed the appeal, reminding that the legal interest protected is the sexual freedom and indemnity of the minor, and that the law anticipates the punitive barrier at the moment when the adult begins to attract or manipulate the minor to obtain pornography, even if he does not achieve his goal. The sentence is final, and the convicted man must enter prison.
This case highlights the importance of parental supervision in minors' use of social media. Fake profiles and deception are common tools in crimes of this nature, and authorities recommend that families maintain open communication with children about the risks on the internet. The conviction also serves as a warning to those who attempt to use social networks for criminal purposes: justice acts decisively to protect the most vulnerable.
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