Two TikTok and Instagram influencers arrested on suspicion of drugging and raping underage girls

Two TikTok and Instagram influencers have been arrested on suspicion of drugging and raping underage girls.

The pair, who are Spanish, post together on TikTok and Instagram under the name @Lospetazetaz and have a combined following of over 70,000 across both platforms. They were arrested in the Vallecas district of Spain's capital city Madrid earlier this year.

The duo are named in local media such as the Madrid Metropolitan only as Jose Hernan A. and Ivan G., but are better known to their followers as Ivancete and Hernycool. They allegedly used their thousands of followers on social networks to contact their teenage victims.

They are said to have used mobile devices and cameras to film the sex attacks in the home of one of the suspects. The supposed assaults took place after they played games with their victims, who were said to be incapacitated by drugs and aged between 14 and 15. Five victims have been identified so far and investigators believe there could be more.

The Spanish National Police reportedly began investigating the pair, who are known for posting content of themselves in luxury apartments, driving expensive cars and attending parties, back in December. Jose Hernan A. and Ivan G. were then arrested in January, according to Spanish media.

Victims wanted to meet 'social media heroes'

The duo were arrested on Wednesday January 24 and one of the pair has been charged with two counts of sexual assault, one count of rape, exhibitionism, child pornography and five crimes against public health - although it is unclear which one of them. The other member of the duo has been charged with sexual assault.

The alleged victims reportedly say that they went to the home of one of the suspects after being attracted by the chance to meet their social media heroes, and were impressed by the number of followers they had on the platforms. They said that once inside the house, the duo would begin to take drugs and offer to share them.

According to the victims’ testimony, the men gave them liquid ecstasy, also known as GBH, in order to play a game they called “who can see double first”. They also told some of their victims that they had to give them sex as a “payment” for having consumed drugs for free, according to The Telegraph.

The police searched the home and found evidence of sexual assault, and also found the fifth victim, according to local media. The police also seized numerous electronic storage devices, different quantities of narcotic substances and two mobile phones.

One of the suspects was immediately imprisoned by a judge, while the other was charged and released. The investigation is ongoing.

'They managed to annul their will'

A spokesman for Spain’s National Police said: “National Police officers have arrested two men on suspicion of sexually attacking and filming minors. The arrested, one of whom was remanded in prison, have thousands of followers on social media, which enabled them to get close to girls who felt attracted by their popularity," as reported in The Sun.

The statement continued: “They took the young girls to the home of one of the detainees where they allegedly carried out games with drugs until they managed to annul their will. They then allegedly used their mobiles and security cameras installed in the property to carry out the sex attacks."

Adding that police did not believe any of the alleged assaults had been published online, the spokesman added: “The investigation has been led by a specialist family and women’s assistance unit called UFAM and began in December last year.

“The initial complaint received pointed to the fact sexual abuse of minors could be taking place at a residential property in the Madrid neighbourhood of Villa de Vallecas. That complaint said the suspects could be two men with many internet followers in different digital platforms.

“Police managed to identify possible victims, all minors, during the investigation. Those alleged victims said they accessed the home of one of the detainees attracted by their fame on social media. They said that once inside that man and his business partner began to consume different drugs they invited them to consume.

“When the minors were under the effects of the drugs, the suspects allegedly took advantage of the state they were in to sexually assault them and film what they were doing, without the minors being conscious of what was happening.”

The @Lospetazetaz TikTok and Instagram accounts were both still active at the time of writing (on the morning of Wednesday February 28).