MIAMI – In a shocking case of corruption and depravity, Stefan Andres Correa, a 42-year-old Miami pharmacist, has been charged with attempted sex trafficking of a minor and attempted travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to the criminal complaint and underlying affidavit, authorities stopped Correa on April 19 as he attempted to board a flight from Miami to Bogota, Colombia. Nine cellular phones were found in his possession containing disturbing videos of Correa engaging in intercourse with purported minor children. The phones also revealed a chat exchange with a suspected sex trafficker, in which Correa allegedly paid for commercial sex with children aged 10 to 12 years old in Colombia.
Correa agreed with the suspected sex trafficker to meet with the minor victims once he arrived in Colombia, according to the allegations. His initial appearance was made on April 19, and a detention hearing is scheduled for today, April 23, at 10:00 a.m. If convicted, Correa faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison with a maximum sentence of life in prison as well as up to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami made the announcement. HSI Miami investigated the case with assistance from HSI offices in Cleveland, Ohio, and Bogota, Colombia, as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogota, Colombia, also provided critical assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Astigarraga-Little is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.
Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate better, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
If you suspect human trafficking or need resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text ‘BeFree’ (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration, or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential, and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.
To report online child sexual exploitation, visit https://report.cybertip.org/ or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in partnership with HSI and other law enforcement agencies.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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