Authorities sent a man who posed as an evangelical pastor in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat to preventive detention after accusing him of sexually abusing multiple women, including minors, over several years. Police arrested the suspect at Barcelona’s El Prat Airport on 23 February upon his return from Canada, where he had fled to evade justice.
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This week, a judge ordered his remand in custody, citing “strong evidence” of sexual assault and a significant flight risk. The investigation commenced in May 2025 when five women reported the man for sexual assault involving touching without penetration.
A Cult of Personality and Control
According to reports from Catalan broadcaster TV3, confirmed by the ACN news agency, the man operated from an unofficial temple on Avenida Fabragada in L’Hospitalet, Barcelona’s second-most populous city. Over a decade, he allegedly cultivated a community of approximately 100 followers, using his self-appointed religious authority to gain the absolute trust of his victims and their families.
The accusers, one reportedly as young as 11, told investigators the man would lure them to his office under religious pretexts. There, he allegedly committed the assaults, disguising them as “spiritual exercises” or rituals designed to “prepare them for marriage.” He insisted the encounters remain a secret “between them and God,” leveraging the victims’ faith to ensure their silence.
Investigators confirmed the suspect is not recognised as a pastor by any official religious body, confirming his entire operation was a deception. This abuse of trust to commit crimes echoes other recent cases in Catalonia, such as the arrest of criminals posing as gas workers to rob the elderly.
Financial Exploitation and ‘Divine Punishment’
As reported by the programme Tot es mou and other local media including Metrópoli Abierta, he allegedly demanded large financial donations from his followers, compelling families to hand over a portion of their salaries. He reportedly threatened those who hesitated or refused to pay with “divine punishment.”
Rosina Foix, the victims’ lawyer, stated her clients “have felt manipulated” and that she will do “whatever it takes” to see justice served. The judge overseeing the case noted that the suspect acted by “taking advantage of the religious beliefs of those affected and his leadership” position.
Flight from Justice and Arrest
Fearing the consequences of the initial complaints filed in May 2025, the man used contacts in Canada to flee Spain. Consequently, a judge issued an arrest warrant. The warrant remained unfulfilled for months until the man decided to return to Catalonia.
The Mossos d’Esquadra immediately apprehended him upon his arrival at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport on 23 February. During a subsequent hearing for a restraining order requested by the victims, the judge opted for the more severe measure of preventive detention to prevent him from disappearing again before his trial.
The case has brought renewed attention to crime in L’Hospitalet, a municipality recently experiencing a major drug trafficking arrest and an incident where a mother was investigated for assaulting a teacher. Although no trial date has been set, the fake pastor faces a significant prison sentence if found guilty of the charges against him.
