Controversy over banner calling for freedom of 'Juancho Kily', accused of sexual abuse against an underage surfer in Puerto Colombia

NewsThe teenager's lawyer denounced that the message revictimizes the young girl and asked the authorities to remove the advertisement. The billboard installed at the Y de los Chinos, in Puerto Colombia, calls for the freedom of 'Juancho Kily', who is being prosecuted for an alleged sexual offense. Photo: Social mediaREPORTER11.13.2026 1:05 PM Updated: 11.13.2026 1:05 PM A billboard installed at one of the main entrances to the municipality of Puerto Colombia, Atlántico, has sparked a new controversy surrounding the judicial process against Juan Fernando Álvarez Torres, known as 'Juancho Kily', who remains deprived of liberty for the alleged sexual abuse of a 16-year-old surfer. READ ALSO The sign, located in the area known as the Y de los Chinos, contains a message in defense of the accused: "I am innocent. My freedom belongs to everyone. Juan Álvarez free." The installation provoked the rejection of the teenager's lawyer, Julio R. Del Villar, who confirmed to EL TIEMPO that the corresponding requests have already been filed to order the removal of the structure. The jurist considers that this public display affects his client, who continues to live with her family in Puerto Colombia, where the reported events occurred. Lawyer denounces revictimization of the teenager"Doing this does not help her case at all. It continues to demonstrate that there is revictimization with this kind of act against the victim, who is a minor," Del Villar stated to EL TIEMPO. The lawyer warned that the presence of the billboard has consequences for the teenager, because the message remains displayed in a place of public circulation in the municipality where she resides. As he explained, every time the minor leaves her home she may encounter an advertisement proclaiming the innocence of the man she reported. In his view, the content may also lead other residents of Puerto Colombia to interpret that the teenager lied in her report. For the minor's representative, this situation constitutes a form of revictimization, as he considers that it brings into public spaces a controversy that should be resolved before the judicial authorities. Del Villar also questioned the actions of the municipal authorities regarding the authorization of this type of advertising."We don't know who granted the permits for this type of sign in Puerto Colombia or whether they monitor their contents," he told EL TIEMPO. The lawyer insisted that it must be established who authorized the installation and what criteria were used to allow the dissemination of a message related to an ongoing criminal process. Awaiting the indictmentThe controversy arises while Juan Fernando Álvarez Torres remains in preventive detention in the El Bosque prison, in Barranquilla, by judicial decision. Regarding the status of the process, Del Villar explained to EL TIEMPO that the teenager's family is awaiting the Prosecutor's Office moving forward to the next stage. The businessman is being investigated for events reported by a teenager. Photo: Social media"The person is in prison. We hope the Prosecutor's Office delivers the indictment and the trial begins," he stated.Álvarez Torres was captured on October 20, 2026, by agents of the Technical Investigation Corps (CTI) of the Attorney General's Office. Subsequently, the Prosecutor's Office charged him with the crime of aggravated violent sexual act, a charge he did not accept. The accused maintains his position of innocence, and his criminal responsibility must be determined by the courts. READ ALSO The events that led to the reportThe judicial process originated from a report filed by a 16-year-old surfer, who stated that she was the victim of a sexual assault on October 2 inside an office located in the Kilymandiaro establishment, in the Pradomar sector, Puerto Colombia. According to the teenager's account, the man allegedly took her by the arm to lead her to an office under the pretext of talking. Once there, he allegedly asked her intimate questions, made sexual proposals, and committed acts of exhibitionism. The minor also stated that the accused allegedly prevented her from leaving the place until she received a phone call from a friend. READ ALSO Among the evidence gathered during the investigation are security camera recordings, testimony from people close to the teenager, and a video that, according to the complainant's lawyer, the accused himself allegedly sent to her parents. 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