Spanish police have arrested one of the FBI’s most wanted during a raid in Madrid.
The man, said to originate from New Zealand, is wanted in the US on charges of sexual exploitation, sexual assault and indecent images of children.
Spanish police say the man, identified only as MJP, is also wanted on charges of illicit gains.
He is said to have earned more than $17m through his alleged crimes.
The man was arrested in a hotel in Madrid after checking in with one of his false identities.
It followed a joint operation between the FBI, US Marshals and INTERPOL in Spain.
On Sunday, Spain’s Policia Nacional tweeted a video of the arrest.
Prosecutors in the US allege the man was involved in producing pornography, recruiting minors and young women through deception and earning more than $17million in the process.
It is alleged he paid other women to “bait” his victims and convince them that the recorded material would not be published.
According to the testimonies of the alleged victims, they were sometimes held against their will at the recording locations, and were not allowed to leave until they had complied with the demands of producers.
In some cases, they were forced to carry out sexual practices to which they had previously expressly refused, it is alleged.
The content eventually ended up on pornographic-themed websites, prosecutors claim.
In September, US authorities issued an International Arrest Warrant and the FBI included him among its 10 “most wanted”.