Collier County convicted felon accused of fleeing to avoid trial arrested in Colombia

A convicted felon who is facing child exploitation charges in Collier County is accused of fleeing the country to avoid trial, but he was arrested in Colombia on Sunday. According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office, Juan Carlos Betancourt, 63, was accused of failing to appear for his scheduled jury trial in Collier County Circuit Court on Sept. 25, 2025. Deputies said they launched an investigation and determined Betancourt, who was living in Naples, was accused of fleeing the U.S. the day before his trial was set. Betancourt was reportedly tracked to Colombia by detectives and federal law enforcement. The sheriff's office said the Colombia National Police arrested him in Cali on a CCSO warrant. Betancourt is a Colombian citizen. Betancourt was arrested by the CCSO INTERCEPT Task Force in December 2023 after an investigation was prompted by multiple cyber tips from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Betancourt was identified as the suspect and he faces 24 counts of possession of child pornography, deputies said. He was then released from jail after he posted $5,000 bond on April 9, 2024. Betancourt will be extradited back to Collier County, and his current warrant calls for no bond when he returns to the country. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.