An American man has been cleared after being falsely accused of child abuse in Bogota, Colombia – a case that has sent shockwaves and sparked debate online. According to a report by CBS News, the man was arrested on Sunday and was later released by the authorities without any charge.
Citing an official document from the prosecutor’s office, the media outlet reported that “there had been no sexual abuse and no physical violence,” and “no evidence indicating criminal conduct”.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a statement Monday, after Bogota Mayor Carlos Galan said a day before that a person had been taken into police custody. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Petro said that the man “apparently did not” abuse any children.
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The accusation stemmed from a video in which the Texas man was seen with a seven-year-old boy on a balcony in broad daylight.
The woman capturing the video assumed that he was molesting the child, and shouted, “He’s abusing the child, let him go!” After she made unverified claims, others also slammed the man, with the video going viral on social media, carrying a false narrative.
Hoy, sobre el mediodía, la Policía y los equipos de @Bogota respondieron a la alerta de la comunidad de un presunto caso de abuso sexual contra un menor de edad en Usaquén.
La Policía de Infancia y Adolescencia hizo presencia en el lugar de los hechos para atender el caso, igual…
— Carlos F. Galán (@CarlosFGalan) June 14, 2026
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In the social media post, Petro further noted that the man had taken the child to the balcony as the 7-year-old was choking on food.
“The National Institute of Legal Medicine confirmed that there had been no sexual violence. Given the speed with which we were able to respond, any form of sexual violence against the three children has been ruled out,” said Asrid Caceres, who is the director of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute, in an interview with Noticias Caracol, as translated by the media outlet.
“When we saw them at the hospital, they appeared quite calm about what had happened. Their accounts were consistent, they were playing, and the paediatrician gave me an initial report that was reassuring,” Caceres added.
“That assessment was later confirmed as the investigation progressed, which allows us to be at ease. That is the most important thing: the alleged incident did not occur,” said Caceres, whose agency is responsible for child welfare and adoption services.”
