'Abuse-free child porn' billboard investigated

Spanish authorities are investigating the origins of a disturbing billboard in Barcelona that appeared to endorse child pornography.

"Send us naked photos of when you were a child. For child pornography without abuse," said a Spanish-language message on the billboard, which ran under a picture of a girl's blurred face and the declaration "Freedom".

"Yes to Paedophilia – No to Abuse," said a slogan at the bottom of the poster, reports ThinkSpain.

The advertisement, put up in a bus shelter near the famous Sagrada Familia church, also featured the URL for a site that reportedly promotes paedophilia.

The city council ordered the billboard to come down after it was reported by local newspaper Ara.

A spokesman from JCDecaux, the company that manages outdoor advertising around the world, said it was unclear how the billboard ended up in the shelter's glass display case.

The lock on the case's frame had not been broken or sabotaged.

JCDecaux display cases can only be opened with a specially-made key not given to anyone outside the company.

The layer of silicone used to seal the bus shelter's display case was fresh, suggesting the controversial poster was not on show for long.

JCDecaux said all its other advertising cases in Barcelona had been checked to ensure similar posters had not been put up.