Domingo Hernández Tarajano, one of the key businessmen in the child sex trafficking investigations that have shocked the archipelago, has been remanded in custody without bail. The decision by Judge Tomás Martín, head of the Court for Violence against Children and Adolescents, marks a turning point in the cases known as '18 Lovas' and 'Íncubo', according to Atlántico Hoy.
The precautionary measure, the most severe under Spanish law, responds not only to the seriousness of the alleged crimes—which include multiple charges of abuse and exploitation—but also to a critical procedural risk: interference with the justice system. According to sources close to the case, the judge has detected systematic attempts by Tarajano to pressure the victims and influence their testimonies, a maneuver that has undermined his right to freedom while awaiting trial.
Tarajano no longer sleeps at his residence in the south, but instead joins Agustín Alemán, alias 'Yino', as the two main ringleaders in custody. While 'Yino' allegedly acted as the recruiter for the network—using fake modeling agencies and supplying substances to incapacitate vulnerable minors—Tarajano's profile represents that of a high-level "client-financier".
The case highlights a criminal pattern that exploited weaknesses in the child protection system in the Canary Islands. Many of the victims resided in open-regime foster care centers, a freedom of movement that the network exploited for profit. More than 30 victims have been identified, and a dozen high-profile individuals have been implicated.
The court decision comes at a time of heightened tension for the business community of Gran Canaria. The case file also includes prominent figures such as Eugenio Hernández and Eustasio López, although the latter is only implicated in the '18 Lovas' case and appears as a witness in 'Íncubo'. However, Tarajano's imprisonment sends a clear message to the island's boards of directors: impunity linked to economic status is under judicial scrutiny.
Given the accumulation of potential sentences that could amount to decades in prison, the Public Prosecutor's Office requested the defendant's immediate detention due to the clear risk of flight and, above all, destruction of evidence. With the extension of the investigation recently granted by Judge Martín, the coming months will be crucial in dismantling the financial structure that sustained one of the darkest schemes in the recent history of the Canary Islands.
