Security efforts in Al Hoceima continue to identify other victims of child solicitation and exploitation

The start of the case and the child’s disappearance

Judicial police in Al Hoceima, acting on precise information, have arrested a repeat offender suspected of involvement in a case of solicitation and sexual exploitation of several minors. The details of the case stem from a complaint filed by the family of a 14-year-old child following his sudden disappearance for two full days.

Questioning the victim and locating the suspect

After the child returned, he was interviewed in the presence of his legal guardian and reported being sexually assaulted. Upon receiving this critical information, security services launched a judicial investigation under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor, which led to the identification and arrest of the suspect in the Tizi Ouasli area, Taza province.

Searches and seizure of digital assets

During the search, officers seized a mobile phone and personal items. Preliminary examination of the phone revealed photos of minors, prompting investigators to widen the scope of their inquiry to verify the circumstances under which the photos were taken and to determine if they are linked to the ongoing judicial investigation.

Suspicions of solicitation via false promises

Current investigations are focusing on suspicions that minors in Al Hoceima were solicited last summer through promises of employment, financial sums, or electric bicycles, before some victims were taken to the suspect’s residence.

Presentation before the justice system and ongoing research

Under direct instructions from the public prosecutor’s office, the suspect was presented before the General Prosecutor at the Court of Appeal in Al Hoceima. The investigating judge ordered his detention in the local prison and he is being charged with several serious offenses related to the acts attributed to him. In the same context, investigations continue to examine digital content and identify other potential minors linked to this complex case, pending the outcome of the trial.