U.S. citizen released, 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. Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a statement Monday night casting doubts on the accusations.

The man, a 36-year-old from Texas, was initially accused of abusing a 7-year-old boy on a balcony in broad daylight. Passersby saw the incident taking place and began shouting at the man to stop, according to videos of the incident shared online. 

A video circulated widely on social media showing a man holding a child next to the railing of a balcony at a residential building in an upscale neighborhood in northern Bogota.

“He’s abusing the child, let him go!” shouted the woman filming the video, with several others also yelling at the man. Dozens of people gathered Sunday at the entrance of the building to demand his arrest.

Bogota Mayor Carlos Galan said on Sunday a person had been taken into police custody.

But Petro, in a lengthy post on X, said Monday night that the man “apparently did not” abuse any children. He said the man had taken the child out onto the balcony because the child was choking on food. Petro appeared to blame the incident on artificial intelligence and “computer manipulation.” 

Three children were found by authorities when they entered the suspect’s apartment and were taken to a medical center to be evaluated, Galan said in a post on X. Sources told CBS News that the suspect may have adopted the children, which could explain how they came to be in his custody, although the investigation was still ongoing.

Colombia’s state agency for child protection confirmed that the three children were in its care while the investigation unfolded.

Several high-profile cases of children being exploited by foreigners in recent years have put the local government in Colombia on guard against sex tourism. The South American nation turned away around 100 foreigners who traveled for sex tourism in the first half of 2026, according to authorities.