Chinese Citizen Caught With Fourteen-year-old Girl in Medellin

A Chinese citizen was caught with a 14-year-old girl in an Airbnb in El Poblado, one of Medellin’s most exclusive neighborhoods. The Chinese citizen, who is 42, was captured by authorities after a 123 emergency call was placed. The call alerted authorities that the man had come into the apartment with the girl. At the crime scene, another woman was apprehended and is being accused of exploiting the 14-year-old.  

During the arrest, the girl presented false identification. She was taken to a local facility of the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) to begin the process of restoring her rights.

Chinese man and 14-year-old girl caught in Medellin: what next?

This case joins the case of American citizen Timothy Livingston, who was also caught with underage girls and has been accused of sexual exploitation.   

It is expected that the Chinese citizen will be charged with sexual exploitation of underage children, while the woman who was also arrested is going to be charged with allegedly inciting the underage girl to prostitution. All this is in stark contrast to how Livingston’s case was handled, given that he was inexplicably let go and fled the country.

According to the data provided by the Observatory of Sexual Exploitation of Boys, Girls, and Teenagers, through 2023 there were 315 cases of this crime in Antioquia. The observatory notes that the underlying data is worrying: in 2023 the total number of victims was 477, while up to mid-April 2024, there have already been 77 confirmed cases.

Pressure is increasing on the Medellin Mayor’s office to address the city’s challenges effectively. Recent short-term actions include closing nightclubs and imposing restrictions on foreigners. However, incidents like this one indicate that more comprehensive measures are necessary.