American Citizen Arrested over Alleged Child Sexual Abuse in Colombia
Prosecutors found no evidence of sexual abuse or physical violence after reviewing the case, and the three children were placed in state care.
- On Sunday, authorities arrested a 36-year-old U.S. citizen in Bogota after a viral video alleged child abuse, but officials released him without charges Monday after finding no evidence of criminal conduct.
- A widely shared video showed the man holding a 7-year-old boy on a balcony in northern Bogota, prompting onlookers to shout "He's abusing the child, let him go!" and contact authorities.
- President Gustavo Petro stated Monday the man "apparently did not" abuse any children, explaining he held the boy on the balcony because the child was choking on food.
- The Colombian Family Welfare Institute placed three children in state care for evaluation, with director Asrid Cáceres confirming that "there had been no sexual violence" and medical findings were "reassuring."
- Colombia turned away around 100 foreigners suspected of sex tourism in early 2026, a climate Cáceres said fueled aggressive social media reactions "fueled by assumptions from people who had not even witnessed the situation.
49 Articles
49 Articles
American Citizen Released in Colombia After President Petro Questioned Viral Child Abuse Allegations in Bogotá
The case began Sunday when a video circulated on social media showing a 36-year-old man from Texas holding a young child near the railing of a balcony in Bogotá
Texas Man Accused in Bogotá Child Abuse Scare Freed After Probe Finds 'No Sexual Violence'
A 36-year-old American tourist from Texas, whose arrest over alleged child abuse in Bogotá triggered widespread outrage, has been fully exonerated and released without charge after a forensic investigation proved a viral video actually captured a father attempting to save his choking son. The footage, filmed from a neighbouring building and spread rapidly across social media, initially prompted alarm and led police to detain the man. However, au…
American citizen released, faces no charges after accusations of abuse in Colombia
Colombian authorities have released a U.S. citizen without charges after he was arrested on Sunday on allegations of sexually abusing a child in Bogota. An official report from the prosecutor’s office determined “there had been no sexual abuse and no physical violence,” and “no evidence indicating criminal conduct,” according to the Colombian news outlet Noticias Caracol, a CBS News partner, The man, a 36-year-old from Texas, was initially accus…
Texas man arrested in Colombia after balcony video allegedly shows child abuse sparking controversy
A 36-year-old Texas native now living in Bogotá, Colombia, is facing an investigation after being accused of sexually abusing a 7-year-old boy in his custody. The incident drew international attention after a widely circulated social media video allegedly showed the man holding the boy over a balcony rail. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has since publicly denounced the allegations. According to CBS, the video appeared to show the abuse taking…
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said this Monday that the American who was arrested on Sunday in a well-to-do Bogota neighborhood for the alleged sexual abuse of a minor “apparently did not rape” the child, which according to the president is one of the three children that the American adopted in the country.
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