Warning: this article contains descriptions of child sexual abuse
In a disturbing case highlighting the dangers posed by digital technology, Luis Carvajal was arrested for grooming and sexually assaulting minors. The investigation revealed that Carvajal, a 35-year-old security guard from Uruguay, employed not only traditional digital tools common among online predators, such as video games and social media, but also utilized ChatGPT to manipulate his young victims.
From mid-2024 to March 2025, Carvajal connected with hundreds of boys throughout Latin America via Free Fire, a competitive mobile game. After befriending them, he transitioned conversations to WhatsApp, where he groomed them using customized messages generated through ChatGPT based on the personal information he extracted. He coerced at least 30 teenagers into sharing explicit images or videos and assaulted at least five in nearby hotels, with most victims aged between 11 and 15, as stated by prosecutor Irena Penza.
Through exclusive insights from court documents, interviews with Penza, and an anonymous source from a specialized police unit, openDemocracy has analyzed how Carvajal’s actions reflect a broader failure to recognize and combat evolving forms of child abuse linked with modern technology. Experts in child protection, both in Uruguay and internationally, indicate that this case exemplifies a concerning trend among digital predators targeting vulnerable children.
Once confined to physical spaces like parks and schools, abusers now exploit the Internet, gaining access to larger numbers of potential victims with increased anonymity. An alarming one in eight children globally is estimated to experience online grooming or non-consensual exposure to sexual content each year, as reported by a 2024 study by the Childlight Global Child Safety Institute. In Latin America, this figure approaches one in five children.
As children engage with video games at younger ages—83% of five to twelve-year-olds in the U.S. play for at least one hour a week—gaming has increasingly become a gateway for such crimes. No longer are children restricted to playing with friends in the same room; they now connect with strangers worldwide through headsets and live chats, creating new opportunities for abuse. Similar cases have emerged in countries like Peru, India, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia.
Targeting boys from disadvantaged backgrounds with promises of money or gifts, online offenders exploit pre-existing vulnerabilities such as poverty and neglect. “The virtual world mirrors the real world,” emphasized Lydia Guarín, a child protection expert at Save the Children in Latin America.
The Online Predator
In 2024, Carvajal, who had two prior sexual abuse convictions, spent months constructing a digital persona to mask his malicious intentions.
The court ruling illustrates how he reached out to numerous children across Latin America, establishing himself as the leader of a ‘clan’ in Free Fire. Rated for ages 13+ in Uruguay and generally 12+ elsewhere, this game was highlighted in grooming cases involving children under 12 in Uruguay, based on a 2025 survey conducted by Pablo López and Manuela Costa at the Universidad de la República.
Once he forged a bond with a potential victim, Carvajal would invite them to the clan’s WhatsApp group, requiring selfies as a membership criterion. “Why don’t you want to join the clan?” he would pressure hesitant children, insinuating that sending photos would secure their place.
He then initiated private chats with his victims, using various manipulative tactics, sometimes posing as a peer or an adult. Concurrently, he cultivated a following of over 10,000 on TikTok by presenting himself as a gaming influencer and offering prizes to supposed winners—many of whom were children.
Through WhatsApp, Carvajal managed to extract sensitive personal details from children, which he used ChatGPT to help fine-tune his communications. Posing as a peer to gay teens and offering acceptance, he would say, “Which part of your body don’t you like? Show me.”
He ingratiated himself into the lives of some victims, gaining the trust of their families, who would later ask him for small loans. This methodology facilitated parents allowing their sons to visit Carvajal’s home, where he provided comforts like Wi-Fi.
Experts suggest that a groomer’s most effective weapon is not technology but trust. By making victims feel special and valued, he ultimately exploited them.
Lack of Statistics
Global data collection on how technology aids the sexual exploitation of minors began only in 2019 with the Disrupting Harm survey, an initiative by Safe Online, ECPAT International, INTERPOL, and UNICEF. This ongoing effort gathers detailed victimization statistics from 25 nations, collated through surveys on crimes, including unreported incidents.
This year, findings emerged from Brazil and Colombia, revealing that approximately one in five internet-using 12- to 17-year-olds experienced digital sexual exploitation or abuse in 2025. Results from Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico are anticipated later this year.
While there are no specific statistics for Uruguay, available data paints a troubling picture. A UNICEF report notes that one in three minors experienced at least one episode of online risk or harm in the past year, with only half reporting the incidents. Additionally, a study by López and Costa found that over half of the 2,500 cases of child sexual exploitation reported involved digital tools.
Carvajal mirrored this pattern. He exchanged in-app currency and mobile data top-ups for explicit images and performed sexual acts on video calls, while also physically assaulting at least five adolescents in hotel rooms. He would mislead hotel staff by claiming the boys were his relatives, resulting in a failure to document their identities.
One victim, 14-year-old Javier*, was lured to the hotel under the pretense of playing Free Fire. Days before, he asked ChatGPT for advice on what to wear and how to respond to same-sex attraction. Simultaneously, Carvajal requested ChatGPT to create inappropriate games involving Javier, though the AI refused.
Upon arrival, Javier and the other boys found food and drinks in the hotel room. Disturbingly, Javier recounted, “I was afraid it had something in it.” Fearing for his safety, he became aware of Carvajal’s intentions but felt powerless. To pacify him, Carvajal offered money, saying it was to ensure they were “equal.” Javier described a mixture of fear and disgust toward Carvajal.
If Javier or any other boy resisted Carvajal’s demands for further explicit content or meetings, Carvajal would assume the persona of another teen, ‘Nahuel’, attempting to downplay the abusive situations. “Forget what happened; he’s a good guy,” Nahuel would try to reassure the victims over WhatsApp. Additionally, Carvajal resorted to blackmail by threatening to expose the incidents to their families, claiming he was watching them.
In subsequent encounters involving other adolescents, Carvajal would sometimes record the abuses. Even after he assaulted the boys, he would offer gifts or money—luring them back in with material temptations.
Javier did not have legal representation during the proceedings and could not be contacted for this article. OpenDemocracy also reached out to Carvajal’s representative, Valentina Solari Silvero, but received no response.
Garena, the developer of Free Fire, advises users to report any inappropriate behavior and highlights its commitment to user safety. A spokesperson for WhatsApp stated that they maintain “zero tolerance” for child exploitation and actively seek to combat these crimes through reporting and blocking mechanisms.
Saying the Unspeakable
In the early hours of March 8, 2025, Javier’s younger brother confided his fears to their mother about threats received from an individual with compromising videos. Confronted, Javier shared the distressing truth with her.
Four days later, law enforcement agents stormed Carvajal’s family’s residence. Authorities discovered suspicious files and chats on his devices that portrayed him as a serial predator.
However, the investigation faced challenges. Despite uncovering potential victims identified through Carvajal’s communications, none had the courage to come forward. Some children interviewed seemed oblivious to their victimization, often accompanied by relatives and pleading with officials not to inform their parents. The digital nature of these crimes can obscure understanding, as families might mistakenly perceive that the children acted of their own volition.
Many victims who did attempt to disclose their experiences were met with disbelief or blame from their relatives. In Javier’s case, his father remarked, “You chose to go; it was your decision,” illustrating a troubling pattern of underestimating the manipulative tactics employed by abusers.
Uruguay struggles to effectively identify potential victims contacted through foreign numbers. Although INTERPOL has attempted to assist, responses were still pending at the time of publication.
In October 2025, Carvajal accepted a plea agreement and was found guilty of multiple charges, including grooming and sexual abuse, receiving a nearly ten-year prison sentence. Post-arrest, he reportedly continued the abuse within the prison system, further underscoring the severity of his predatory behavior.
The prosecutor’s recommendations included all identified and anonymous victims. However, the complete extent of the damage inflicted by Carvajal may remain forever unknown.
*Not his real name.
