Astonishing full story of Colombia balcony 'child abuse' video: Texan man falsely accused by lynch mob and branded 'MAGA pedophile' by president finally has his say

By MARYANN MARTINEZ, US TEXAS BUREAU CHIEF Published: 02:51, 20 June 2026 | Updated: 02:51, 20 June 2026 An American man feared he was moments from death when an angry mob stormed his apartment building in Colombia falsely accusing him of being a child predator, his lawyer has told the Daily Mail.  The Texas man, who we are not naming, is now preparing to sue the people who filmed him on a balcony with a seven-year-old boy and uploaded the footage online, triggering a frenzy that quickly spiraled out of control.  He became the target of an international firestorm as the clip spread across social media, with thousands of users falsely accusing him of abusing the child.  Even Colombian President Gustavo Petro weighed in, branding the American a 'pedophile' in a post on X that remains online despite authorities clearing him of any wrongdoing.  As outrage mounted, furious neighbors descended on the apartment building in northern Bogota, forcing their way inside and attempting to reach the unit where the American was staying.  When police finally removed him from the building, crowds cheered and rocked the patrol vehicle as it pulled away.  The Houston-area man had been staying at the apartment with his wife and three special-needs siblings the couple had spent the last three years trying to adopt, his lawyer said.  His reputation has already been permanently damaged, the attorney said, adding that his client believes he narrowly escaped being killed by the crowd. The suspect, whose name has not been identified, was perp walked out of the building after the on-camera episode - and is expected to be charged with aggravated sexual assault of a minor 'They were going to lynch him if police had not shown up,' attorney Fabio Humar, who was hired to represent the Texan, told the Daily Mail in a phone call from South America.  The Texas man and his wife, who have been married since 2020, were in the final stages of adopting three siblings: the seven-year-old boy and his four- and fifteen-year-old sisters. Two of the kids have medical conditions and other special needs, according to the attorney. As part of the adoption requirements, the Americans had to spend one week living with the special needs children under legal supervision before they could return to the US as a family.  They rented a small Airbnb apartment unit to complete the last step of the adoption. 'The process of adoption in Colombia is very rigorous. Its even more rigorous when the potential parent is coming outside of Colombia,' the attorney explained, adding that an FBI background check by the people wanting to adopt is also required. 'My client, he doesn't just adopt one child. He adopted three kids. The people from the adoption agency told me it's so rare because people don't often want to take three siblings, so what happens is the kids have to be separated. This man adopted three of them.' On Sunday, a fight among two of the kids would set off an unbelievable cascade of events. 'They were there in the apartment when the seven-year-old throws a tantrum over an argument with the 15-year-old sister,' the lawyer said. 'The man does what he's been instructed to do to deal with the boy's condition, which is to separate him and take him to a place where he can clam down. 'That's what he did. They went out to balcony and he tried to calm him.' An angry mob formed around the building in Colombia's capital Bogota after the man was allegedly caught in the act in broad daylight, as police had to form a protective shield to guard him from furious witnesses  Colombian attorney Fabio Humar is representing the American falsely accused of child sex abuse in Bogota A neighbor who was leaving mass saw the man and boy and assumed the worst.  She began filming and yelling, prompting others to join in before deciding they needed to go save the boy.  Humar recounted how several people went upstairs to the fourth floor unit to try to take the boy from the man.  'We are taking legal actions against those people for attempted kidnapping,' the Colombia attorney stated. A scene of utter chaos played out inside the apartment as strangers forced their way inside. The Americans apparently did not understand what was happening because they don't speak Spanish, the lawyer recounted.  In fact, it was the 15-year-old bilingual girl who stepped in to translate and try to make sense of why the neighbors were so upset.  'Fortunately, at that time, police arrived and they fortunately took (the American man,) because of the police hadn't take him, the mob would have tried to kill him,' Humar said. The children were taken away by authorities and underwent medical checks with doctors, psychologists and other investigators.  Authorities concluded there was no evidence of physical and sexual abuse. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he was ordering his foreign ministry to re-examine visas for Americans after the incident, accusing the US of allowing 'pedophiles' to enter his nation  Colombia's president falsely accusing a Texan man is being a pedophile is still on X The siblings also gave statements, revealing they already called the American couple 'mom' and 'dad.' 'The eldest girl is 15. You can only image the trauma she has lived,' Humar said. Despite the ordeal, the Texas husband and wife are moving forward with the adoption process and with legal action against those who set off this firestorm.  'He's a normal man, a hard worker.  Who knows how this is going to affect him when he goes back to his life in America,' the lawyer stated. For now, the adoptive parents remain in Colombia to complete the adoption process and with plans to return to the Lone Star State with the children.   Meanwhile, Humar is working with neighbors and police to identify his client's accusers and anyone else who spread the video online.  That includes Colombian President Gustavo Petro who not only called the Texan a pedophile, but also claimed he was MAGA. 'The American pedophile is from Texas and right-wing in the US,' the president tweeted on Sunday in a post that is still up despite the Texan being cleared.  'Here is shown the double standard and the manipulation of the electorate While one part of the electorate moves toward the extreme right thinking they are defenders of the family, it turns out that many from the ultraconservative faction are pedophiles.'  'Of course we're going to sue the President,' Humar declared. 'He has 8 million followers. The damage to my client is irreparable. Everyone will be held responsible.' 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