Briton Working As Madrid Teacher Arrested On Child Porn Charges

The Spanish National Police have arrested a British man, who has been working as a teacher in a Madrid school, for the possession and distribution of child pornography.

In a police statement, released yesterday, Friday 23rd April, he was described as a “dangerous sexual predator” who had abused as many as 36 young children.

The detainee, who is reported to have also worked as a part time childminder, was said to have hidden his own criminal record by using a false name and forged documents.

All of the victims were between the ages of four and eight, with the suspect generating “a huge quantity of photos and videos” which he then distributed on paedophile forums through the encrypted ” dark web” Tor network.

According to the police statement, “he took advantage of his status as a teacher to gain access to the victims and gain the trust of parents, and in that way he was able to generate an enormous amount of material.”

The investigation began early last year after the Spanish authorities were tipped off by their Australian counterparts, who detected material on Tor that appeared to be uploaded by someone in Spain.

Spanish police tried to identify the locations where the pictures and videos were taken which led them to identifying a primary school in Madrid which was the breakthrough to finding the suspect.

Investigators were then able to hone in on a teacher who, on further investigation, had changed his identity to hide the fact he had a criminal record in the UK and had been sentenced to two years in prison for possession and distribution of images of children being sexually abused.

The Spanish daily newspaper, ABC  has reported that the suspect is Ben Lewis aged 36 and who had falsified his documents and used the name, Ben Davis Rose.

During the search, they discovered material held on 10 different devices, along with forged documents the suspect is alleged to have used to get a job as a teacher using a false name and avoiding  criminal record checks.

Criminal record checks are a standard procedure for all positions involving working with children in Spain as well as the UK.

The man remains in police custody as the authorities continue their investigation.