As digital interaction becomes embedded in everyday life, online grooming and sextortion cases are increasingly moving from private screens into courtrooms. What often begins as a direct message on a social platform can evolve into a structured criminal case requiring forensic, behavioral, and technological analysis.

Understanding how these crimes unfold — and how they are prosecuted — is the focus of an upcoming virtual masterclass dedicated to the forensic anatomy of digital victimization.

From Online Manipulation to Judicial Evidence
Titled “Anatomy of Cyber-Victimization: Profiles, Grooming and Sextortion Under the Lens of Forensic Psychology,” the session will examine 33 court rulings involving 61 real cases.

Rather than offering a general overview of cybercrime, the event centers on judicially resolved cases. This approach allows for a structured analysis of:

• Behavioral patterns of offenders
• Psychological profiling of victims and perpetrators
• Phases of online grooming strategies
• Escalation mechanisms leading to sextortion
• The evidentiary role of digital communications

By grounding the discussion in court decisions, the masterclass highlights how theoretical models align — or diverge — from real judicial outcomes.

The Growing Importance of Digital Evidence
A key component of the session will address how digital evidence is handled in legal proceedings. Chat logs, multimedia files, metadata, and certified digital records frequently form the backbone of prosecution strategies.

The discussion will also explore pre-recorded testimony mechanisms designed to protect minors from re-traumatization during trial — an increasingly relevant consideration in international judicial systems.

Event Details
The masterclass will be delivered by Manuel Jesús Fariña Velasco, a member of the Spanish National Police of Spain with experience in organized crime investigations and behavioral analysis.

The event is organized by ITAE Business School and will take place virtually on March 21, conducted in Spanish.

As digital ecosystems continue to expand across borders, the judicial understanding of online grooming and sextortion is evolving in parallel. This session offers a case-based perspective on how digital victimization is examined, documented, and adjudicated within contemporary legal frameworks.