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Medellín: Life Sentence for Serial Abuser Highlights Need for Background Checks

On June 27, 2025, a Florida court of the United States Federal Justice established his life sentence for the crimes of child sex trafficking and participation in sexual acts with this same population to Stefan Andrés Correa, an Ecuadorian-American citizen and serial abuser in Medellin, noting the urgency on making stronger the efforts for Colombian authorities through international coopetarion for boosting the safety, which includes measures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, such as continue demanding the Certificate of Criminal Records for Colombian visa applications.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers stopped Stefan Andres Correa, a 42-year-old citizen, on the jet bridge at Miami International Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Bogota, Colombia. During an outbound border search, officers discovered nine cellular phones in Correa’s possession. which led to the uncovering of over 100 videos of Correa having intimate relationships with over 50 minors, who were between 11 and 17 years of age. A search of one of the cell phones also revealed a text message exchange with a sex trafficker in Colombia, who Correa agreed to pay $300,000 Colombian pesos (the equivalent of $75 U.S. dollars) to arrange for commercial sex with children who were 10 to 12 years old.

“The United States of America will always seek to protect children near and far,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “This prosecution and this sentence should serve as a warning to any predator who is trying to travel through our District to prey on children. We will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. A life sentence for this conduct is entirely appropriate. Predators such as Correa are a scourge upon humanity, and must be dealt with accordingly.”

This sentence comes right after the visit made by Federico Gutiérrez, the Mayor of Medellín, last Friday, June 6, through Monday, June 9, to hold high-level meetings with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of State, and the FBI to advance an international offensive against the crimes of sexual and commercial exploitation of girls, boys, and adolescents (ESCNNA), demonstrating that the strict measures recently implemented by the authorities are not only beginning to yield results but will also become a permanent work agenda moving forward.

“This sexual predator will face a long prison sentence in his country for crimes committed in Medellín.” This is how the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez , announced the life sentence against Stefan Andrés Correa, the serial abuser in Medellin who was captured for committing sexual crimes in Medellín from 2020 until 2024, when he was captured on April 19 of last year.

How Was the Resolution Given for the Serial Abuser in Medellin Reached?

This foreigner, according to judicial investigations, came to the capital of Antioquia on 48 occasions, at least twice in a semester, to sexually abuse minors in the city, articulated with a criminal network that would be in charge of getting him minors for his aberrant acts, which also led to the capture of two Colombian women who served as his link to access his victims, who were mostly between 9 and 12 years old.

This pharmaceutical professional, who introduced himself as Cris to try to conceal his true identity as much as possible, had as his modus operandi the delivery of 300,000 pesos and an iPhone, usually references 7 or 8, in exchange for his victims acceding to his sexual pretensions and not reporting him.

“The sentence is the result of Operation Hunter, an example of what can be achieved through intelligence, international cooperation, and, above all, the determination to combat this crime. It is a historic outcome, the product of a parallel investigation conducted both in Miami and in our city,” stated Federico Gutiérrez, the Mayor of Medellín.

During the investigation to dismantle the network in which Correa was involved, it was established that six minors were victims of his sexual acts. All of them provided testimonies during forensic interviews, which allowed Correa’s direct responsibility in these events to be fully established.

“To the brave survivors, your courage was the driving force in this case, and I hope that the life sentence of this predator brings you some measure of justice and relief,” said Jose R. Figueroa, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Miami. “This investigation underscores the global and horrific nature of child sex trafficking and the importance of international cooperation to end it. I thank our federal and Colombian counterparts for their steadfast dedication and reiterate HSI’s continued commitment to holding those who prey on minors fully accountable.”

What About the Accomplices of this Serial Abuser in Medellin?

According to judicial investigations, this serial abuser in Medellin used to make payments directly to the sexual exploitation network that procured the minors for him, and almost never did so directly to evade the authorities and prevent them from identifying his true identity.

As part of this network, in January of this year, authorities arrested Lina Marcela Velázquez Maldonado and María Camila Cano Cuervo, as part of the investigation against this foreigner. On May 27, a judge sentenced Velázquez Maldonado to 21 years and two months in prison after her responsibility was proven in at least one case, in which she allegedly handed over her 11-year-old cousin for Correa to exploit her sexually, in events that occurred on November 23 of last year, where she even allegedly took her to the place where the sexual abuse was committed.

Despite this, in light of the evidence and the court ruling against Velázquez Maldonado, the defense of the convicted individual appealed the sentence before the Criminal Chamber of the Superior Court of Medellín, which would be responsible for issuing a decision in the second instance.

At this moment, both parties involved are still under investigation, which could positively impact the victims due to the recent sentencing of Stefan Andrés Correa.

Are There Cases Related to this Serial Abuser in Medellin?

In March 2024, the country was shocked by the sexual abuse case perpetrated by American citizen Timothy Livingston. This 36-year-old individual was found with two underage girls, aged 12 and 13, inside a tourist residence in Medellín by a citizen who alerted the authorities. The authorities detained him, but 12 hours later, they released him, alleging he was not caught in the act. This not only highlighted a procedural error on the part of the authorities, who are under investigation, but also put the city in the national spotlight, with even the country’s president, Gustavo Petro, commenting on the matter, leading Interpol to issue a blue notice for the location of this accused, who also has two open cases in the United States for child sexual abuse.

The connection with Estefan’s case is due to his capture occurring within the framework of the investigation to apprehend Timothy Alan Livingston, after he was identified as a fugitive from justice, as revealed by the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez.

The key that allowed revealing that Correa was part of this network, through the acquisition of minors, was the interview with one of Livingston's victims, who would have stated that not only had this American abused her, but that she would also be a victim of Correa, a pharmaceutical chemist from Miami.

These two cases, linked to each other, show that in Medellín there is a strong network of child sexual exploitation that would offer minors to tourists who arrive directly to sexually abuse them, without needing to do a previous search. Everything would be done through social media.

When Livingston’s case was mentioned, it was said that this network would be operating from commune 3 (Manrique) and that one of the neighborhoods in this area would be the place of origin of the exploited minors in the case of this American, sought with an Interpol blue notice to answer for sexual crimes in Colombia, even if it is before the justice of the United States.

“This is not an isolated case, but a phenomenon of human trafficking for sexual exploitation that for many years went unnoticed, without anyone saying anything, but we are now attacking it with full force,” assured the mayor of Medellín.

What Immigration Measures is the Colombian Government Taking to Prevent other Sexual Abusers from Coming to Colombia?

As highlighted in our previous blog post, “Criminal Background Check for Colombian Visa Applications,” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has increasingly required FBI background checks for American citizens or individuals who have lived there, as well as criminal record certificates for foreigners from other countries applying for a Colombian visa.

Therefore, the recent life imprisonment handed down to Stefan Andrés Correa, a serial abuser, brings into sharp focus the horrific crimes he committed in Medellín and, by extension, the critical urgency and absolute necessity of robust background checks for every expatriate seeking to relocate to the city. This case serves as a stark and vivid illustration of precisely why thorough vetting processes are not merely bureaucratic hurdles but vital safeguards. They are indispensable tools for protecting vulnerable populations, particularly children, and for actively preventing the recurrence of similar atrocities that leave deep and lasting scars on individuals and communities alike.

In this case, for expatriates considering Medellín as their new home, this case should not be a deterrent but rather a powerful reminder of personal and communal responsibility, because integrating into a new society comes with the implicit duty to understand and respect its laws, its culture, and, most importantly, its most vulnerable members, which can only be preserved through the requested FBI Background Check, which are not an invasion of privacy but a fundamental step towards ensuring the safety and well-being of the host community.

If you're prepared to start your new chapter in Medellín responsibly, remember that community safety begins with each individual, so if you’re looking to obtain your FBI Background Check from Colombia, our trusted partner, expatgroup.co provides thorough support with a complete range of services, including fingerprinting, apostille, and translation, to ensure a successful process, avoiding denial or visa rejections and ensuring the well-being of everyone.

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The Bottom Line: Medellín - Life Sentence for Serial Abuser Highlights Need for Background Checks

The recent life sentence of Stefan Andrés Correa, a serial abuser convicted of child sex abuse, underscores the urgent need to maintain international cooperation and vigilance to prevent child exploitation and ensure that those with a history of such heinous crimes cannot continue to operate across borders. The requirement for criminal background checks for US citizens applying for a Colombian visa is an excellent immigration measure to prevent these types of crimes, and will undoubtedly continue to be an even more requested requirement to avoid these types of situations.