MIAMI – Federico Gutiérrez, the Mayor of Medellin, Colombia hosted a news conference Friday regarding the federal case of a Miami pharmacist which experts say is bringing new attention to the prevalence of child sex tourism in Colombia.
The suspect, Stefan Andres Correa, also appeared in Miami federal court.
Authorities said just as Correa stepped onto a Miami International Airport jet bridge to board a flight to Bogotá Friday, an outbound border search revealed the 42-year-old — traveling alone — was carrying about nine cellphones.
On some of those devices, Homeland Security Investigations agents based out of MIA would discover photos and videos of Correa raping young girls and a conversation with a sex trafficker about his plans to victimize an 11-year-old girl, prosecutors allege.
Court documents state that in a graphic series of text messages, Correa promised that both the trafficker and the girl would get $300,000 Colombian pesos — about $75 — and the girl would receive an iPhone, as long as he was allowed to rape her in Medellín.
#DigitalDeepDive: Miami case casts spotlight on ‘horrific’ #childsextourism in Colombia—#SoundOn ▶️—Lawrence Gumbiner, international consultant and retired U.S. diplomat explains why Medellín, Colombia has developed a reputation for child #sextrafficking. https://t.co/QsGtI1EtLd https://t.co/KRXlm3nT52 pic.twitter.com/bXNqqbt7x5
— Christina Boomer Vazquez, M.S. (@CBoomerVazquez) April 26, 2024
Federal investigators revealed that Correa admitted to flying to Colombia on numerous occasions with the intent of engaging in sexual activities with minors on numerous occasions.
Investigators disclosed that Correa had traveled to Colombia approximately 45 times in the past two years, a revelation that sparked outrage from Medellin’s mayor.
During the conference, the mayor expressed incredulity over the lack of intervention regarding Correa’s actions and announced new measures to combat child sex tourism in Medellin. These measures include the seizure of properties from owners who enable the sexual exploitation of minors.
Read more: Miami pharmacist’s trafficking case casts spotlight on ‘horrific’ child sex tourism in Colombia
Larry Gumbiner, an international consultant and retired high-level U.S. diplomat, emphasized the dark underbelly of child sex tourism in Medellin, which has flourished amid the city’s international tourist boom.
“It built into a crescendo when they found an American citizen with two underage girls in his hotel room,” said Gumbiner. “I think it has exploded to the realm of public opinion and the political system has to now deal with it.”
Gutiérrez recently announced new measures to combat sex tourism including seizing properties from owners that allow the sexual exploitation of minors.
“I think finally for the political system, it reached a breaking point where the mayor felt he had to do something,” said Gumbiner.
In federal court Friday, Correa’s public defender agreed to a pre-trial determination at this stage, in a case that is also being heard in the court of public opinion in Colombia.
His next court appearance is scheduled for next week.
The United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida Spokesperson told Local 10 News in a statement Friday: “The Department of Justice does not provide arrest/booking photos.”
A spokesperson for CVS confirmed Correa last worked there in May of 2022.
A Walmart spokesperson also confirmed Correa last worked as a pharmacist for Sam’s Club in Orlando back in 2021.
A spokesperson with the Department of Homeland Security shared their initiatives on how they plan to mitigate sex trafficking and combat the issue, which you can read here:
- Operation Predator: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) flagship investigative initiative for targeting sexual predators, child pornographers and child sex tourists.
- The Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT): An international alliance of law enforcement agencies working together to fight online child sexual exploitation and abuse. HSI is a founding member and current chair of the VGT.
- Victim Identification Program (VIP): The use of technological and investigative capabilities and resources to rescue child victims of sexual exploitation. The VIP focuses on identifying and rescuing children who have been depicted in child abuse material.
- In addition, HSI has partnered with other agencies (including the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces), foreign law enforcement agencies and non-governmental organizations (such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children). These partnerships have enabled a Cyber Crimes Center to successfully investigate leads and assist partners in identifying violators and associates all over the world.