Socialist Youth Leader Arrested for Child Pornography

The general secretary of the Socialist Youth of Elche (Alicante) was arrested in early June for the possession of child pornography. The Directorate General of the National Police announced his arrest and incarceration shortly after it occurred. The general secretary was arrested by the National Police after a year-long investigation into child pornography on the darknet.

The (potentially former) general secretary of the Socialist Youth of Elche, Alejandro Diaz Chaves, shared child pornography on the darknet for at least one year. During his chats, he told forum members that he abused two different children: one girl around two years of age and another under the age of six.

At the time of his arrest, law enforcement confirmed that he sexually abused at least one of the children. However, sources from the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community announced that the court only charged him with possessing and sharing child pornography. And that there was no “evidence at this point in the investigation that the suspect has sexually abused any child.” They are holding him without bail until the investigation is complete.

The Central Brigade of Technological Research investigated pedophilia forums on the darknet for one year, according to the National Police’s press release. The Technological Research Unit of the National Police deals with essentially every major cyber crime including child pornography, child abuse with an online or telecommunications component, and fraud.

During the year-long operation into child pornography forums, investigators found the forum where Diaz shared content. The forum, according to the Technological Crime Group of the Alicante Police Station was known as a forum for the “new and unpublished.” The forum allowed only new content. In addition, investigators obtained his communications on other communication mediums, including Skype conversations. Investigators obtained some communication during the investigation and even more after the arrest.

Agents of the Judicial Police of Madrid seized his computer after arresting Diaz. They confirmed that his computer contained incriminating evidence. However, with the extra access to material, the authorities may have found that Diaz fictionalized the child abuse. When news of his arrest hit public channels, officials said the man abused at least one child and lied online about doing the same to many children. The additional evidence skewed the evidence obtained prior to his arrest.

His claims made to other pedophiles online are now being combed over by investigators for any confirmation of what he did or not. However, the images he shared were new images and they came from child abuse somewhere. Images he uploaded showed “extreme harshness,” authorities claimed.

The investigation is ongoing. Police have already arrested another man as a part of the larger child pornography operation and more arrests are expected to follow. Diaz is currently in police custody without bail.