LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Chinese national was detained in Panama after allegedly abducting his three young children from Lexington, Kentucky, and attempting to flee the United States in violation of custody agreements, according to federal court documents filed Tuesday.
Hao Qiu faces a federal charge of international parental kidnapping, according to an FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Lexington.
Qiu was stopped by authorities in Panama as he tried to board a flight with his children, whose identities are not being released to protect their privacy. The children’s mother, who also is not being identified, had previously flagged them with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s International Anti-Abduction program after becoming suspicious that Qiu might abduct them during an agreed-upon supervised trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, court records said.
According to FBI Special Agent Isaac Robison, Qiu took the children’s cell phones and tracking devices away to prevent their mother from tracking their location. After traveling from Florida, Qiu reportedly used Chinese passports he had obtained for the children to fly with them from Mexico City to Havana, Cuba, before reaching Panama. He intended to fly from Panama to Turkey when authorities intervened, the affidavit stated.
Qiu had been allowed visitation within Fayette County, Kentucky, under strict conditions, including surrendering the children’s passports to their mother. Despite a court order forbidding travel outside Fayette County without explicit permission, Qiu arranged a trip supposedly for the theme park visit. The mother only approved travel by car to Florida, expressly prohibiting air travel due to her fears of abduction.
Panamanian authorities, tipped off by the mother’s earlier alerts through U.S. Customs, detained Qiu and recovered the children. However, Panamanian officials indicated Qiu could only be held for 24 hours under the circumstances, requiring rapid coordination with U.S. authorities.
On July 29, the day authorities intervened, the children’s mother successfully filed an emergency motion granting her temporary sole custody of her three children, all under age 10.
If convicted, Qiu could face up to three years in federal prison under the international parental kidnapping statute.