American Arrested en Route to Colombia for Attempted Child Sex Tourism

An American citizen was arrested on April 19 in Miami, Florida, just minutes before attempting to travel to Colombia, allegedly to engage in child sex tourism. The 42-year-old suspect, Stefan Andres Correa, who was preparing to board a flight to Medellin with a layover in Bogota, is under investigation for sharing sexual material of minors through social media.

The suspect, a professional in the pharmaceutical field, was carrying nine cell phones during the police operation. The authorities discovered that these devices contained conversations in which he offered $300,000 Colombian pesos (US$76.8) and iPhones 7, 8, and XS as payment for his intended sexual encounters.

UPDATE: The horrific text messages of Stefan Andres Correa to a child trafficker.

According to information published on the official website of the United States Attorney’s Office, law enforcement officers discovered videos of Correa engaging in intercourse with purported minors, as well as chat exchanges with a suspected sex trafficker, in which Correa allegedly paid for commercial sex with Colombian children aged between 10 to 12 years old.

Child sex tourism networks in Medellin, Colombia

Director of the Colombian Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol (Dijin) disclosed to W Radio that this case is believed to be linked to the same child exploitation network as the case of the American Timothy Alan Livingston, who was found with two minors in a hotel in Medellin.

“This investigation began when we were dealing with those minors, and another minor appeared expressing what was happening with this individual (…) We have an investigative group that works in coordination with agencies in the United States. We initiated information exchange, which led to the detection [of Correa] as he was leaving Miami. When his cell phone was checked, it had explicit videos of minors,” explained the colonel.

Furthermore, screenshots of Correa’s conversations with the procurer reveal that some of the minors were backing out of being involved in the acts. Additionally, it was revealed that in previous sexual acts involving the suspect and minors, they expressed pain and discomfort.

Detained American visited Colombia 45 times since 2022

Immigration authorities revealed that the man had traveled to Colombia a total of 45 times since 2022. To capture this foreigner, the units of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Miami worked jointly with the HSI offices in Cleveland, Ohio, and Bogota. Additionally, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attache in Colombia provided critical assistance.

With this detention, there would already be nine foreigners captured for reports of sexual crimes committed in Medellin, of which eight were judicially processed in Colombia or in the United States, while the remaining one was released because the underage individual with whom he was found had provided false documentation.

This arrest is crucial in the Colombian National Police’s continuous endeavors to dismantle criminal networks involved in child sexual exploitation within the country. As further investigations proceed, Correa will face charges in a Florida court for attempted sex trafficking of a minor and attempted travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct, potentially leading to sentences ranging from 15 years in prison to life imprisonment.