Andorran Police Probe WhatsApp Groups Adding Minors to Adult Porn Distribution

Andorran police are investigating anonymous international WhatsApp groups that have added local minors without consent, distributing pornographic photos and videos featuring adults. The probe began after a mother filed a complaint yesterday afternoon about her child—aged 12 or 13 and studying second- or third-year ESO or equivalent across different school systems—being included in such a mass-distribution channel alongside numbers from France, Spain, and other countries.

Police have received only this one formal report so far but know of similar cases abroad. Their initial focus is identifying group creators, administrators, and those responsible for the additions. The multinational numbers complicate matters and may require international cooperation, with origins still unclear—possibly not from Andorra itself. Investigators are also exploring how Andorran numbers were obtained, such as through hacked accounts.

Affected families, primarily those of girls, notified schools, which have since warned parents to inspect children's devices, raise awareness of age-inappropriate material, and adopt safety measures. Police emphasise that some minors might not have told their parents.

Authorities recommend WhatsApp's privacy settings to limit group additions to contacts only, hide profile photos, disable location sharing, and enable two-step verification. Parental control apps are advised, along with supervision given the platform's minimum age of 13. They stress open talks with children: reject unknown groups, get consent before adding peers, report incidents without fear, and avoid sharing any sexual images, memes, or stickers—acts that constitute crimes even among minors.

"We have one complaint from a mother. Now we must start the investigation and see where it leads," police stated, noting the challenges from foreign involvement.

The incident underscores broader digital risks, as Andorra advances updates to its child protection law and penal code.