Colombia: Man Detained in Serial Sexual Abuse of Minors

Juan Carlos Sanchez, a 38-year-old Colombian man, was arrested in Maracaibo, Venezuela and has been charged with allegedly raping over 274 children between 2008 and 2011. 

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The victims ranged between the ages of 14 months old to 14 years old, according to the Colombian magazine Semana. Colombian authorities have announced that they will seek Sanchez's extradition.

Notwithstanding rape and abuse, Carlos Sanchez, who worked in the tech industry, is also accused of filming those crimes, calling himself the “Big Bad Wolf” and selling the footage to a network of pedophiles, according to People magazine. Each video was reportedly marketed and sold for between US$100 and US$400.

The magazine described Sanchez as “one of the worst criminals in the history of Colombia and possibly the world.”

While General Jorge Vargas of the National Police declared that Sanchez has sexually abused more than 274 “boys, girls and teenagers,” the magazine, citing new details obtained by investigators, puts the number as being significantly higher, at over 500.

The victims were from different countries and the sexual abuse took place at different locations. Sanchez allegedly used video games to attract victims to his residence. Authorities claim that he would then offer them money to take nude photos, which resulted in sexual abuse.

Investigators have been working on the case since 2005, but were only able to gather enough evidence to arrest the perpetrator some 13 years later.

Colombia experienced a similar case back in the 1980s and 90s, when Luis Alfredo Garavito sexually abused and murdered over 170 minors.