‘Seduction’ course filming sparks Spain arrest

MADRID: Police said Thursday they arrested a man in Barcelona accused of secretly filming his conversations with women in the street and using the footage to promote an online “seduction technique course”.

Officers allegedly found 239 secretly recorded videos on the suspect’s social media profile in which women shared personal details, such as their nationality, occupation or daily routine.

The suspect, who is believed to have used a hidden camera, approached women on the streets of Barcelona and filmed conversations with them without consent, Spain’s National Police said.

“He is suspected of involvement in offences against privacy and sexual assault,” the statement read.

The footage often showed the women’s faces clearly and was used as promotional material on the suspect’s website, where users could pay 3,000 euros ($3,400) to enroll for an online “seduction techniques” course and access the secret recordings.

The course’s content included both theoretical instructions on how to approach women and real-life examples based on the videos he had recorded, police said.

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Police began their investigation in April, after a woman reported the man had touched her inappropriately and tried “to kiss her twice” in the course of a conversation.

She later discovered a video of the incident posted on a popular social media platform, where it had already garnered more than 700,000 views.

Police arrested the suspect in May and has been released under judicial supervision while awaiting trial, a police spokesman said.