Marin County Man Jailed in Colombia for Seeking Sex With Young Girls
FAIRFAX (KPIX 5) -- A Marin County man is behind bars in Colombia, accused of paying for sexual acts with teens. Victims are as young as 13 years old.
Police in Medellín arrested Thomas Renno from Fairfax. Officers with the Colombia Police Department handcuffed Renno and took him into custody on Thursday at the hospital in Medellín.
Renno faces charges of aggravated crimes of commercial exploitation, pornography and the use of mass media to propose sexual activities. According to a news release by the investigative agency in Colombia, there were at least five victims between the ages of 13 to 17.
Investigators say Renno used Facebook to contact his victims and offered the minors roughly $100 for sexual favors. He's also suspected of sharing pornographic material.
The charges have many in the Fairfax community in complete disbelief. Kevin Shine says his daughter was friends with Renno's child and never suspected anything like this.
"It messes with the mind. It messes with who the people are around you," Shine said.
According to investigators, Renno has set up residency in Colombia but was still a U.S. citizen. Renno has his mail delivered to a friend's house in Fairfax and that friend says Renno is a retired nurse and doesn't believe he's capable of committing these crimes.
Authorities in Colombia are still looking into this case. They believe he has made several trips there since 2017 and that there maybe other victims.
