The National Police has now announced the arrest of Miquel Nieto, a sexual predator, at his home in Argentona (Maresme) last May. The pedophile had participated in the Territorial Cooperation Program (PTC) subsidized by the European Union to help children with language difficulties, which allowed him to interact in five schools in the region.
Nieto is well known in Argentona for running in the 2015 elections as number two on the ICV candidacy, led by the former councilor of the ecosocialist formation, Àngel Puig, also detained in the same plot as a necessary collaborator and later released. Puig has declared that he had only rented a room to Nieto and has denied that she is, or had ever been, his romantic partner, as various reports have speculated.
The detainee had more than 15 years of experience in the educational field, and the European PTC program promoted by the Department of Education allowed him to expand his capabilities as a leisure monitor in several schools in the region. Sources from these centers detail that they were surprised that Nieto demanded that he be called Aul, instead of using his first name, since they say he presented himself as a sexually undefined person. Shortly after being investigated by the National Police, he stopped going to schools and took a leave of absence “for family reasons.”
The monitor is accused of sexually assaulting dozens of minors. The tip of the iceberg was detected in Santa Cruz de Tenerife involving an 11-year-old minor whom he deceived through a video game. From the first complaint, it was revealed that he had set up a pedophile plot that took advantage of the El Calabrot leisure group, which was so successful in Argentona for its social activity and the organization of summer camps for minors up to 17 years of age. The detainee took the children to his house, taking advantage of the trust that the children’s families had placed in him.
Nieto took advantage of his relationship with the minors to invite them to parties at his home, where they also stayed to sleep. Nine cases are attributed to the pedophile, but images of about 70 minors have been found, which could add to the crimes of corruption of minors, child pornography, sexual assault and grooming (impersonating a minor).
The investigation has also located videos in which he takes advantage of the fact that minors are sleeping to subject them to sexual abuse. Her romantic partner, who participated in sexual encounters trying to strengthen ties with minors, was also arrested, as well as a former student with whom she shared pedophile material.
In Argentona, the commotion is general. The City Council has announced that there is a third detainee, who could be the partner of the sexual predator. The case, according to the mayor, Montse Capdevila, became known before the municipal elections, but did not officially come to light until the secrecy of the proceedings was lifted.
On the other hand, the Investigative Court 2 of Mataró reports that it has opened a procedure in which, at this moment, there are four people under investigation. For those who have already been declared by the magistrate, provisional detention and incommunicado detention with respect to the victims was agreed for one of those investigated. The other three investigated are on provisional release with precautionary measures. At this moment there are 9 victims in person in the procedure, which remains open for the crimes of: Sexual abuse of minors under 16 years of age; Corruption of minors and child pornography.
