The Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has sentenced a 63-year-old man to six years in prison for sexual assault on a minor, and must pay 5,000 euros.
The accused was acquitted of the charge of prostitution, for which he had also been prosecuted.
Although the victim is currently 19 years old, the trial was held behind closed doors due to the severity of the events and to protect their identity.
The ruling establishes as proven facts that the defendant went on August 5, 2019, to a square where the minor was, offering him 50 euros in exchange for allowing him to perform oral sex, to which the young man agreed.
The victim now suffers psychological damage as a result of the incident, such as general maladjustment, particularly in school and social settings, symptoms of anxiety, and claims to live in a constant state of shame.
Although it was proven that no violence was used, the court concluded that the defendant was fully aware that the victim was 13 years old, as he admitted during the trial, stating he had known him since he was a child because they were neighbors.
The charge of prostitution was dismissed since, although the young man was induced to engage in the sexual act in exchange for money, it was an isolated case and there is no evidence that the man had done this act before or after.
The victim said he accepted the proposal “because he was driven by greed” to get a large sum of money for someone his age. He claims that he used the fifty euros to buy sweets.
