Streamer Sergio Jimenez dies live on camera as police investigate paid online challenge in Spain (Image via Getty)
A 37-year-old streamer died while live on camera in Spain, and police are now checking if viewers who paid to watch him could face legal trouble. The man, Sergio Jimenez, was found dead at his family home in Vilanova i la Geltrú, near Barcelona, during the early hours of December 31.Police confirmed the death is being treated as a serious case linked to an extreme online challenge. Investigators have not ruled out expanding the probe to see if anyone may be criminally responsible for encouraging risky behavior.According to Spanish authorities, Sergio Jimenez had agreed to take part in a private, pay-per-view livestream where viewers donated money and pushed him to carry out dangerous acts over several hours. While the broadcast was still running, his younger brother discovered him unresponsive in his bedroom.A spokesperson for the Mossos d’Esquadra said:“We can confirm we are investigating the death of a 37-year-old man found lifeless at a property in Vilanova i la Geltrú in the province of Barcelona in the early hours of December 31. We are awaiting the full autopsy results and are looking into the context of this man’s death to determine whether a crime has occurred.”
Sergio Jimenez found dead as family describes final moments during livestream
Sergio Jimenez lived in the home with his mother, Teresa. She told Catalan newspaper El Periodico that the family had been worried about his online activity for months.She said:“Jordi, my eldest son, who lives in the Pyrenees, warned us a couple of months ago Sergio was making these kinds of videos.”Teresa described the moment she realized something was wrong.“I got up to go to the bathroom just before 2am and saw the door to his room was ajar. I asked him what he was doing but he didn’t answer.”She added:“I tried to go in, but there were clothes or something on the bedroom floor and I couldn’t. I kept asking him from outside but he didn’t answer. I could see him kneeling on the bed, as if he were praying.”Her other son, Daniel, rushed in and called emergency services after confirming Sergio had already died.Daniel said:“There was an almost empty bottle of whisky, a couple of cans of energy drinks and a pile of cocaine on a red plate. My brother was kneeling on the floor, his head resting on the mattress. The computer was on and I could hear voices asking him if he was sleeping off his hangover.”Spanish media reported the livestream was limited to a private group, where viewers paid money and demanded more extreme actions. Police are now checking whether those payments and messages could count as encouragement of dangerous behavior under Spanish law.Also Read: Did Twitch Get Hacked? Streamers Report Payout Changes As Platform Confirms Investigation
