Man charged with kidnapping Brighton teen girl. What we know now
A suspect has been arrested and charged with kidnapping a teenage girl who went missing from her Brighton home early this week.
Serdar Ozmen, a 40-year-old Brooklyn man, is being held in Monroe County Jail without bail on one charge of kidnapping in the first degree, Brighton Police Chief David Catholdi said.
A 14-year-old girl with developmental disabilities was reported missing by her family just before 4 a.m. Monday. Police found evidence that the teenager had been texting and trading messages with someone on social media shortly before she disappeared. They tracked the phone she was communicating with to New York City, Catholdi said.
The teenager was found alone in a Bronx apartment around 9:30 p.m. Monday, about 17 and a half hours after she went missing.
Catholdi said police identified Ozmen by tracking down the subscriber information on the cell phone the girl was communicating with. He was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Queens on Wednesday.
An order of protection was issued for the teen.
At a news conference earlier this week, officials warned of the dangers of social media in connection to child sex trafficking.
On Thursday, Catholdi said he believed Ozmen and the girl had been chatting for a week or so before she went missing.
"It doesn't take long," he said.
— Kayla Canne reports on community justice and safety efforts for the Democrat and Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter @kaylacanne and @bykaylacanne on Instagram. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Serdar Ozmen charged with kidnapping Brighton NY teen girl
