Leonel Esteban Borroni, who went by the name ‘Un Leon Viajero’ (A Lion Traveler), had sent messages to his loved ones following an alleged discovery of child pornography on his electronic devices
A travel YouTuber, Leonel Esteban Borroni, who was arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography, was found dead in an apparent suicide just hours later.
The Argentinian influencer, known as ‘Un Leon Viajero’ (A Lion Traveller), had sent farewell messages to his loved ones before police raided his home. After he failed to respond to calls, family members discovered him dead at his residence on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. While police sources suggest that the 40-year-old took his own life, they are awaiting autopsy results for confirmation.
Borroni had been arrested following the alleged discovery of child pornography on his electronic devices and was released on bail just hours after appearing before a judge as part of an ongoing investigation into human trafficking and sexual abuse. The judge informed Borroni that he was under investigation as part of this probe.
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According to reports, it is believed that the influencer did not answer any questions about the alleged child pornography. The arrest came after a tip-off from Argentine authorities regarding child exploitation, leading to several search warrants being executed near Buenos Aires. Another five men and a woman, aged between 20 and 50, have also been implicated in the investigation.
One individual has been identified locally as a teacher and another as an employee of a tech firm. Borroni was not accused of producing or creating the images, which are believed to have included victims under the age of 13 being sexually abused by older men and women.
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It is thought that he distributed the videos and had them in his possession. Borroni was not formally charged with any of the crimes mentioned in court, with the Instagram influencer having recently posted a video of his South American adventure. During a trip to Suriname, the traveller expressed the challenges of navigating the country.
Borroni had a following of 164,000 on his Instagram and over 140,000 subscribers across his two YouTube channels, where users are now posting comments alleging his involvement in the paedophile ring. One user commented: “God bless those who fight against the world’s paedos and the child victims of these people.”
His last post on Instagram was two weeks ago when he bid “goodbye” to some of his followers. Borroni shared a snap of himself on the back of a motorbike, writing: “What a beautiful moment I am living Laions, saying goodbye to some social media and entering others.”
He’d earlier posted: “In these eight years of touring places I never thought I would reach I achieved my traveling goal, I am happy for all that I could shoot, and above all for having health and support of the Laions, I hope the universe helps me to enjoy it all I walked from another place with more comfort, I deserve it. Thank you.”
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