Raul Asencio has been fully cleared in a case involving the alleged distribution of an intimate video featuring a minor, with Spanish prosecutors dropping all charges against the Real Madrid defender, according to The Athletic.
Asencio, 23, had been accused of passing the recording to a third party after it was made without the consent of those involved. However, he was never accused of taking part in filming the video itself.
Investigators alleged that Asencio had requested the recording and subsequently showed it to another acquaintance. The prosecution’s decision means he no longer faces charges in relation to the alleged sharing of the footage.
The case also involved three of Asencio’s former team-mates from Real Madrid’s youth system: Ferran Ruiz, Juan Rodriguez and Andres Garcia. Unlike Asencio, all three were sentenced to one-year suspended prison terms.
They were also given two-year restraining orders preventing them from approaching the victims, as well as three-year bans on working with minors. The penalties formed part of the judgment in the case involving the recording.
The decision to remove the allegations against Asencio brings an end to the proceedings against the Real Madrid player in relation to the video. The report does not state that he was involved in making the recording, and the accusation against him had focused on its alleged onward distribution.
Asencio has faced a separate legal matter after being found guilty of driving while under the influence of alcohol. In that case, he was fined 14,400 euros and banned from driving.
That driving offence is not connected to the intimate-video investigation. The two matters involve separate allegations and separate penalties, with the Spanish prosecutors’ decision relating specifically to the case surrounding the recording.
Asencio is a defender for Real Madrid and was 23 at the time of the proceedings. The other three men named in the case had previously been part of the club’s youth set-up alongside him.
The ruling and prosecutorial decision leave Asencio cleared of the allegations that he had shared the intimate video. The former youth players Ferran Ruiz, Juan Rodriguez and Andres Garcia remain subject to the suspended sentences and restrictions imposed in their case.
