Colombia to Seek Extradition for American Suspect in Child Exploitation Case

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he will formally request the United States government to extradite, Timothy Alan Livingston, the suspect who allegedly exploited two minors at a hotel in Medellin. Additionally, an investigation is under way on the reasons for the initial release of the suspect by the Colombian Police.

Timothy Alan Livingston is the person implicated in the alleged exploitation of two girls aged 12 and 13 at the Gotham City Hotel in Medellin. The American arrived in the city during Easter on a flight from Fort Lauderdale. Police authorities responded to an anonymous complaint on March 28, and despite the suspect being found with the girls, he was briefly detained and then released as there was no immediate evidence of the crime.

Livingston left the country the next day, March 29, without any restrictions. During a press conference on Sunday, Medellin Mayor Federico Gutiérrez, reported that the foreigner is 36 years old and suggested that he would be responsible for the crime of exploitation of minors. In a message on his X social network account, he noted that Livingston “should be behind bars and not back in his country.”

The Attorney General’s Office is also investigating suspected irregularities in this case. The Attorney General, Margarita Cabello, has ordered disciplinary action against members of the National Police of the Aburrá Valley to quickly identify the agents responsible for the alleged irregularities in the hotel in Medellin.

Concerning the case, the prosecutor claimed that Livingston was “initially detained and released without due judicialization,” which sparked public outrage and highlighted the need for authorities to define their roles.

Cabello stressed the need to move forward in this matter in a timely and exemplary way, announcing the appointment of a criminal judicial prosecutor as a special agent in the Prosecutor’s Office inquiry.

The incident has caused widespread anger across Colombia.

Medellin fights child abuse amid call for extradition

This alleged case of child sexual abuse adds to 21 others registered in Medellin and to the 167 nationwide so far in 2024. Gutiérrez signed two decrees on Monday, April 1, seeking to prevent cases of sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in the capital of Antioquia. To combat criminal structures involved in this crime, he suspended prostitution and related activities for six months in the public space of the famous park El Poblado and surrounding areas.

Local authorities have penalized the hotel for letting Livingston enter with minors, citing a breach of safety protocols. The national police are coordinating with Interpol to possibly issue a blue notice against the foreign national.