Rome, 40-year-old arrested for prostitution and child pornography: he lured young girls on social media

He hooked up young girls on social media and then, sometimes even for a monetary compensation, proposed sexual encounters or, alternatively, sending them photos and videos with hot content. The Carabinieri of the Provincial Command of Rome have carried out a precautionary custody order in prison against a 40-year-old accused of child prostitution, child pornography, detention or access to child pornography, with the aggravating circumstance of having committed the crime against minors under 16 years of age.

Investigations started after parents' complaint

The investigations began in October 2024 following the complaint from the parents of a girl who was not yet fifteen years old who had discovered some photographs on their daughter's mobile phone depicting her in sexually explicit attitudes. The police thus discovered a series of chats of the girl on various messaging apps - such as Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal - held with a person called "Sugar Daddy". Messages and photos with erotic content that the man exchanged with several girls.

Carry out several searches

During the investigations, eight searches were carried out, including on other suspects in a state of freedom and on the girls involved. The seized electronic devices and the interviews of the girls made it possible to reconstruct all the phases through which the man, between 2015 and 2025, hooked up the young girls on social media, or through word of mouth, and, after gaining their trust, sometimes even for financial compensation, proposed them meetings for sexual purposes or, alternatively, asked them to send self-produced films or photos, with clear sexual content.