Spanish prosecutors on Wednesday ratified their request of a 22-year prison sentence for Jon Perurena, a high school teacher on trial for allegedly offering money to three minor students in exchange for sexual favors.
The Spanish news agency EuropaPress reports that Perurena works as a teacher at a school in Irun, a town in the Bidasoaldea region in the province of Gipuzkoa of the Basque Autonomous Community. He stands accused in an ongoing trial of offering money to three students in exchange for sexual favors between 2023 and 2024.
The outlet Crónica Vasca detailed that Perurena faces two counts of sexual solicitation via internet, one count of indecent exposure, and one count of conditional threats with mitigating circumstances. The outlet notably pointed out that while the defendant has denied the allegations, former students have reportedly not just corroborated them — but have accused him of showing pornographic material in class.
The prosecutors, considering the crimes of which Perurena is accused of, deemed the sentence request to be “proportionate.”
At press time, the trial has been reportedly adjourned pending a verdict following a second day of proceedings this week that, according to EuropaPress, saw the presentation of the parties’ final briefs in addition to two of the three victims presenting testimony behind closed doors. Two unnamed teachers from the school, witnesses called by the defense, and the defendant himself also reportedly testified before the court.
Perurena reportedly delivered his testimony behind closed doors after he reportedly made mention of the minors’ names on several occasions, ignoring warnings from Judge María José Barbarin, president of the Court, who told him not to do so.
El Mundo described Perurena, who is also known by the artistic names Jonpe and Jonpe Ta Zetas, as “the kind of character who, if he were a fictional creation, would be implausible” as the man, prior to working as a teacher, was an engineer, singer, and rower, and was “the star of a Basque-Andalusian television show.”
El Mundo noted that Perurena has also written songs about the Eta terrorist leader Josu Ternera and against Spanish princess Leonor de Borbón and Madrid Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid. Other musical tracks released by the man reportedly feature extremely sexual and drug-glorifying lyrics.
According to El Mundo, citing statements from the victims and a teacher, Perurena offered to be the victims’ “sugar daddy.” Perurena has claimed that he is “the victim” instead and that it was his students who were “provoking him.”
“The sexual comments were directed at me,” he reportedly claimed, describing the victims as “crazy girls” who were allegedly infatuated with him.
The defense has requested his acquittal, arguing that Perurena “made the mistake of being a friend and a peer” to the minor students and “of putting himself on their level and acting differently.”
“There is a line between being a caring teacher and behavior that seeks to expose minors to a clearly sexualized environment,” prosecutor Jorge Bermúdez said.
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