Argentine citizen Ariel Fernando Morán, 56, was transferred to the maximum-security prison in Emboscada, where he will remain in preventive detention while Paraguay's Public Prosecutor's Office investigates a series of serious crimes, including human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Morán's arrest occurred on the Costanera in Asunción, where he was found with a 17-year-old adolescent girl, who was rescued by authorities.
New testimonies from women who identified themselves as victims reveal a pattern of violent and controlling behavior by the Argentine man. One victim, whose identity was protected, told radio station 1080 AM that she was approached with a job offer on social media. "He destroyed me, I wanted to kill myself," she stated, describing how the relationship quickly turned into isolation, threats, and physical assaults. She said Morán forbade her from speaking with her family, kept her locked in a room for days, and threatened to kidnap and mutilate her relatives.
Another complainant, identified as Sandra, said Morán acted in collusion with his son and that among the victims were girls as young as 10. "This man is a psychopath, I hope they don't release him and he never sees the light of day again," she vented. According to her account, he forced her to use drugs and set up a recording studio in his home in San Bernardino, equipped with professional cameras pointed at the bed, where he allegedly filmed sexual acts without consent to later use the material for blackmail.
Commissioner Humberto Aquino, head of the National Police's Department Against Human Trafficking, confirmed the modus operandi was consistent: Morán recruited women with job offers, presented himself as a successful and educated man, and then subjected them to a cycle of violence, threats, and drugging. Aquino also revealed that the Argentine man had a travel ban from his home country and likely entered Paraguay clandestinely to evade migration surveillance. Argentina's National Gendarmerie reported that Morán had already served a one-year prison sentence in his country and had several pending complaints against him.
Psychologist Eduardo Bieber analyzed that Morán's conduct fits the profile of a sexual sadist, someone who finds pleasure in power, control, and the psychological manipulation of his victims. Bieber explained that individuals with this profile meticulously plan their actions, seeking out vulnerable people and using deception to establish trust before revealing their brutality. To date, seven women have filed formal complaints against the Argentine man.
During the search and seizure warrant executed at Morán's residence, computers, cameras, professional lighting, children's and adolescent clothing, sex toys, syringes, and controlled medications were found. The seized electronic equipment will be forensically examined to search for evidence of the alleged crimes.