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A Spanish porn star is under investigation on the suspicion of manslaughter charges for allegedly hosting a spiritual ritual that killed a man after he ingested toad venom, according to Fox News.
Nacho Vidal, the 46-year-old adult film actor was detained last week in the Valencia region of Spain for his alleged role in the death of Jose Luis Abad.
“The police operation began following the victim’s death during the celebration of a mystic ritual based on the inhalation of venom of the bufo alvarius toad,” a police statement said via multiple reports.
The species comes from Sonoran Desert, and is known as the Colorado River toad.
According to BBC News, the ingestion of toad venom secretes a substance known as 5-MeO-DMT, which can cause a psychedelic state when ingested.
The effects of toad venom are reportedly similar to ayahuasca, a hallucinogen used in shamanic rituals.
Over the course of the 11-month investigation, police discovered that the ritual practice of ingesting the toad’s venom was touted as offering medical benefits.
Vidal was reportedly known for promoting the benefits of the toad’s venom in YouTube videos.
BBC reportedly spoke to a lawyer for Vidal who claimed he “considers himself to be innocent.”
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What investigators found, however, was that the method poses a “serious health risk,” especially to individuals who seek help for “illnesses or addictions.”
Local reports state that Abad inhaled the venom using a pipe at a ritual police believe took place at Vidal’s home. The adult film star, who boasts 363,000 Instagram followers, runs his own website selling sex-related products ranging from toys to massage oils and lubricants.
The BBC notes that Vidal and two other individuals were detained by police last week in connection with Abad’s death. They are being investigated for suspicion of manslaughter and violating public health laws. All three have been released “provisionally,” the report said.
Vidal is also “very upset” by Abad’s death, according to his lawyer, who said in a statement to La Vanguardia newspaper that Abad’s inhaling of the venom was “completely voluntary.”
