Mexican Authorities Arrest Man in Yucatan for Producing and Selling Child Sexual Abuse Material in Australia

Kanasin, Yucatan — Mexican authorities arrested a man in the Yucatan state who allegedly produced and sold child sexual abuse material in Australia, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced.

The Federal Prosecutor’s Office identified the suspect as Josué Raúl “N,” who authorities say used social media over approximately 10 years to lure children and adolescents, videotape sexual acts with them, and then sell the material on a social media platform.

The investigation began in November following a complaint from the Australian Embassy’s Mexico and Central America Liaison Office in Mexico City. Australian authorities from Queensland Police’s specialized child abuse and sexual crimes unit had identified material apparently produced in Yucatan that was shared in July 2023.

Federal prosecutors coordinated with Australian authorities and Mexico’s Public Security and Citizen Protection Department to identify the suspect.

“The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, attached to the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime, conducted various procedures and obtained an arrest warrant against this individual,” the Federal Prosecutor’s Office stated. “The warrant was executed in coordination with personnel from the Public Security and Citizen Protection Department and the Mexican Navy at a residence in the Mulchechén neighborhood of Kanasin, Yucatan.”

Authorities seized tablets, cell phones, SIM cards, and Micro SD cards as evidence, along with the property itself.

Prosecutors brought the man before a judge and formally charged him with aggravated human trafficking, alleging he induced minors under 18 to perform sexual acts or bodily exhibitionism for sexual purposes, whether real or simulated, to produce material by videotaping them and financially benefiting from their exploitation.

The defense requested additional time to determine the suspect’s legal status. The judge ordered preventive detention, and the man will remain in the Social Reintegration Center in Merida, Yucatan.