A 13-year-old Florida girl reported missing nearly a week ago has been found in south Florida with a man she met online.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said the girl was listed as an endangered missing juvenile after she left her home in Plant City, about 25 miles east of Tampa, early last Saturday morning.
She was found in Broward County with 38-year-old Edward Rodriguez, WFLA reports.
“We are immensely grateful that this young girl has been found,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “I want to extend my deepest thanks to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals for their quick and effective support. Our joint efforts have brought a young girl home to her family, and that is what truly matters.”
Investigators say that Rodriguez drove to Plant City and picked the girl up, then drove four hours back to his south Florida home, according to WTVJ.
An arrest report says the two met through a gaming app in April and that Rodriguez had been grooming her for months. The teen told police she planned to live at his apartment forever and that he told her he loved her. He also told her he was going to lock her in his basement so no one could ever take her away.
Rodriguez has been charged with molestation, interference with child custody, and providing aid to a minor without notifying a parent. He’s being held on a miniscule $32,500 bond, although he does have a list of restrictions, including no contact with any minors whatsoever, if he bonds out.
