A Real Madrid footballer will appear in court soon after being accused of distributing child pornography.
Defender Marco Asencio, 22, was charged by Spanish authorities in relation to a video filmed by former teammates, which showed them allegedly having sex with an 18-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl in 2023.
Court documents claim that the video was distributed via WhatsApp, with both women involved showing symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the aftermath. A judge at Gran Canaria High Court has said evidence suggests the videos were distributed without the women’s knowledge or consent, and that at least one woman was a minor at the time of the incident.
Spain’s Criminal Code outlines the sentencing guidelines for judges; anyone found guilty of recording and sharing an explicit video of a minor can be sentenced to between three and a half and five years in prison. For non-consensual recording, the sentencing guideline is for two and a half to four years in custody.
The players were arrested in 2023, with all four men having their phones seized by police.
Speaking about the allegations after his call-up to the Spanish national team earlier this season, Asencio said: “I think everyone is aware of what they are doing. For that reason, I am very calm. So, well, live day by day. In the end, it's a matter of deadlines.
“I have noticed this change of pressure on the pitches.
“It's logical, with the change of category [after Spain call-up]. I'm a person who likes and is motivated by feeling that pressure. Since I was a kid, I'm used to feeling that pressure at Real Madrid. It makes me even more motivated.”
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