The Unidad de Delitos Tecnológicos (Technological Crimes Unit) is a specialized division of the Spanish National Police and Guardia Civil dedicated to investigating crimes that involve digital technology, cybercrime, and electronic evidence — including those that affect minors, sexual offences, and online exploitation.

Let’s break it down clearly and in-depth so you understand who they are, what they do, and how they may be involved in a case related to underage sexual abuse or mobile phone data.

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🧠 WHAT IS THE UNIDAD DE DELITOS TECNOLÓGICOS?

The Unidad de Delitos Tecnológicos is a cybercrime unit that works to detect, investigate, and dismantle crimesinvolving:

• Computers
• Mobile phones
• Internet platforms
• Social media
• Online communications
• Encrypted or hidden digital content

They act as the digital detectives of Spain’s police forces.

There are two main arms:

1. Brigada de Investigación Tecnológica (BIT)
   • Part of the Policía Nacional (National Police)
   • Focused on urban areas and national/international crimes
2. Grupo de Delitos Telemáticos (GDT)
   • Part of the Guardia Civil
   • Active in more rural or suburban zones

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🕵️‍♀️ WHAT DOES THIS UNIT DO?

These cybercrime units investigate cases such as:

🔞 Crimes Against Minors

• Grooming online (acoso sexual de menores)
• Sextortion or blackmail involving explicit images
• Sharing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
• Recording or distributing videos/photos of sexual abuse
• Sexual coercion using WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, etc.

💻 Digital Evidence Collection

• Mobile phone analysis (forensic extraction of messages, files, images)
• Decryption of encrypted chats (e.g., Telegram, Signal)
• Tracking IP addresses, email accounts, fake profiles
• Recovering deleted data

🎭 Identity Theft and Impersonation

• Fake social media accounts used to trick or groom minors
• Adults pretending to be teenagers (“catfishing”) to access victims

🕳️ Dark Web and Hidden Networks

• Investigations into networks distributing illegal content
• Tracking peer-to-peer file sharing or hidden forums

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📱 WHEN WOULD THEY HANDLE A CASE?

These specialized units are usually brought in when:

• The crime involves digital communication (texting, sexting, blackmail)
• There is evidence stored in a phone, tablet, or computer
• The suspect used encrypted apps or attempted to delete content
• There are multiple victims, such as in cases of child pornography rings
• Online platforms (like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook) are part of the abuse

If you report underage sexual abuse and say something happened through a phone or online, the police will automatically escalate the digital part of the case to these specialists.

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🧪 HOW DO THEY HANDLE MOBILE PHONES?

1. The phone is seized by police or handed in voluntarily
2. It’s transferred to the Unidad de Delitos Tecnológicos
3. A forensic copy is made (to preserve the original evidence)
4. They use specialized tools like:
   • Cellebrite
   • XRY
   • Oxygen Forensic Suite
5. They extract and analyze:
   • Chats (e.g., WhatsApp, Signal, Snapchat)
   • Photos and videos
   • Browser history and app usage
   • GPS/location data
   • Deleted content if possible
6. They produce a forensic report (Informe Pericial) with:
   • Screenshots, chat transcripts
   • File timestamps
   • Device logs to confirm or refute allegations

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⚖️ COLLABORATION WITH COURTS

• The unit works under judicial order — they cannot access phones without a judge’s permission unless it’s an emergency (e.g., imminent harm to a child).
• Their reports are sent directly to the judge or Fiscalía de Menores (Juvenile Prosecutor).
• Their agents may testify in court as expert witnesses.

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👧 SPECIAL PROTECTIONS FOR MINORS

If the victim is underage, they follow strict protocols:

• They do not expose the child to explicit content unless absolutely necessary
• Any child sexual images found are handled with special permission and stored securely — not shown in court unless required
• They work closely with psychologists and child protection units to ensure the investigation is trauma-informed

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🔗 Example Situations Where They Get Involved

Scenario	How They Help
A 14-year-old is blackmailed on Instagram after sending a nude photo	Trace IPs, recover deleted messages, link accounts
A child says they were filmed during abuse	Recover video evidence from abuser’s phone or cloud
An adult is grooming teens online	Create digital profiles, extract WhatsApp data, map chats
A teen reports sexual threats via Snapchat	Recover messages, link user to device, collect metadata

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✨ Final Thought

The Unidad de Delitos Tecnológicos plays a vital role in protecting children from online and tech-related sexual abuse in Spain. They are discreet, highly trained, and work hand-in-hand with judges, prosecutors, and victim services to ensure:

• The case is built on solid digital evidence
• The child is protected from re-traumatization
• The guilty are held accountable