Travel influencer discovered dead amid child porn allegations
Argentina travel influencer Leonel Esteban Borroni was discovered dead just hours after getting accused of possessing child porn with intent to distribute.
The 40-year-old content creator’s body had been discovered by his brother-in-law at his home on the outskirts of Buenos Aires on May 17, local media reported.
The influencer’s mother reportedly sent the relative there to investigate after Borroni failed to respond to calls.
According to police reports, the deceased was found hanging from a skylight with his hands and legs bound with plastic ties with authorities suspecting that he could’ve restrained himself.
Police suspect that Borroni took his own life, but are currently waiting on results from the autopsy.
The Youtuber had reportedly left farewell messages on his cell phone, in which he claimed he was “depressed” about the child pornography case against him.
Authorities had reportedly raided Borroni’s house on Thursday, finding electronic devices with explicit content featuring minors.
However, they did not arrest him at the time.
Officials also detained six other adults between 20 and 50 years old, including a physical education teacher, during the operation, which is part of an ongoing human trafficking and sexual abuse investigation.
Borroni subsequently appeared before a judge on Friday, but reportedly refused to answer questions pertaining to the charges.
The influencer — known as the “Traveling Lion” online — became a fixture on social due to his unique travelogues, which saw him travel the globe via motorcycle.
Borroni frequently posted these motorcycle diaries on his Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok channels, where he collectively amassed over 300,000 followers before he died.
In his final post on TikTok a week ago, Borroni could be seen traveling through Suriname on his bike.
