Two 'influencers' arrested for raping and recording minors they recruited because of their popularity

They took the minors to the home of one of the detainees, where they played games with narcotic substances.

Group XXII of the Family and Care for Women Unit (UFAM) of the National Police has arrested two 'influencers' with thousands of followers on social networks for sexually assaulting and recording five young minors, the police have reported. Madrid Police Headquarters in a statement.

Those arrested, José Hernán and Iván G., aged 34 and 22, took advantage of their popularity to attract girls who were attracted to their popularity, gained with more than 70,000 followers on social networks such as Instagram and many more on TikTok, whose account has already been closed.

According to police investigators, they took the girls to the home of one of the detainees, located in the Vallecano neighborhood of La Gavia, where they played games with narcotic substances until they managed to annul his will. And they used their mobile devices and security cameras installed at home to record the sexual assaults.

The investigation began last December, after receiving a complaint from a girl reporting that minors could be being sexually abused at a home in Vallecas.

The complaint, coming from the Alcalá de Henares police station, indicated that the alleged perpetrators, known on networks as 'Los Petazetaz', could be two men who had a very significant number of followers on several channels on different digital platforms. After the investigations carried out, four possible victims were identified, all of them minors.

The victims stated that they accessed the home of one of the investigated people attracted by his fame on social networks. Once inside, he, along with his partner, began to consume different narcotic substances, especially liquid GHB and 'pink cocaine', and offered them to them to also consume.

RECORDED SEXUAL ASSAULT

When the minors were under the influence of drugs, they took the opportunity to attack them and record sexual encounters, all without them being aware of what was happening to them. Other times, those arrested forced the girls to perform sexual practices on them in exchange for the narcotic substances that they had previously given them, supposedly offered for free.

The investigation, carried out in the so-called 'operation Network', has identified four victims on whom the attack was perpetrated and another on whom the attack was attempted. Although there could be more cases when this information is disseminated and with the progress of the investigation.

Finally, on January 24, a tracking device was established, which culminated in the arrest of these two men. One of them was arrested as the alleged perpetrator of two crimes of sexual assault, one crime of rape, exhibitionism, child pornography and five crimes against public health.

The second detainee is charged with the crime of sexual assault. At the time of accessing the home to carry out the corresponding search, the agents found another minor who had also been a victim of these events. She had a record of crimes against public health.

In addition, numerous electronic storage devices, different quantities of narcotic substances and two mobile phones were located. The agents found images of the attacks spread by messaging services without the victim being aware.

After being brought to justice, the immediate imprisonment of the eldest of them was ordered at the end of January, but he was provisionally released this week after an appeal by his lawyers until the trial, the same sources have indicated.