Real Madrid footballer charged with distributing child porn video of teammates having sex with teenager
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.
Asencio was arrested alongside Ferran Ruiz, Andres Martin and Juan Rodriguez, who were his teammates at the Real Madrid youth team. Of the four, Asencio is the only one to have progressed to Madrid’s senior team, having played 22 matches for Carlo Ancelotti’s side this season.
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.”