Man charged with taking 8,000 photos of minors to create AI-generated child abuse material
A man in Santander was detained after collecting thousands of photographs of nude minors from beaches without consent and using AI tools to generate synthetic child sexual abuse material. Prosecutors are seeking over 10 years imprisonment for continued production and possession of child exploitation material.
What happened
A man in Santander collected over 8,000 photographs and video recordings of minors under 16 without clothing, taken from beaches in the city without consent while children were swimming or playing. He stored the material on hard drives and classified them by year in his home.
The suspect used AI image generation tools to create additional hyperrealistic child sexual abuse material downloaded from the internet. He was detained in July 2024 at El Sardinero beach when a municipal enforcement officer observed him photographing children's genitals.
Reported impact
When police intercepted the suspect on a bus after his arrest, he refused to leave the vehicle, attempted to delete files from his camera, and physically assaulted a police officer who took the device.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.