Missing North Carolina teen found with Oklahoma man now charged with statutory rape
Police say a missing teenager from North Carolina was found in Missouri with a convicted sex offender who traveled from Oklahoma to pick her up.
The 16-year-old was found in a vehicle Wednesday night in a Lowe's parking lot in the western St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, according to a news release from Monroe, North Carolina, police. With her was 30-year-old Christopher James Porter, who was identified by police as a convicted sex offender.
Missouri court records show Porter is charged in St. Louis County of statutory rape, statutory sodomy, possession of child pornography and sexual exploitation of a minor. The case will be handed over to a Missouri grand jury, according to court documents.
Missing teen found
The teen had been missing since Oct. 13, when she was last seen leaving her house just after 4 p.m. via a Ring camera, according to a missing persons flyer.
“Our detectives scoured every lead, followed every tip, and left no stone unturned in our pursuit of reuniting [the 16-year-old] with her family,” said Monroe Police Chief J. Bryan Gilliard. “We would like to thank all the cooperating agencies at the local, state and federal levels who assisted in this investigation, especially law enforcement in Kirkwood, Missouri. They found [the teen] using good old fashioned police work.”
The teenager told police she met Porter on anonymous messaging apps, where he "took advantage of comments made by [the teen] about stress and wanting to run away, and ultimately convinced her to do so; traveling all the way from Oklahoma to Monroe to pick her up," the news release said.
The teen has been reunited with her parents, police added.
“As this investigation continues, I want to emphasize the importance of maintaining the privacy and emotional well-being of [the teen] and her family during this time," the Monroe police chief said. "The recovery process will be challenging, and we ask that you respect their need for space and understanding."
Who is Christopher James Porter from Oklahoma?
Monroe police said Porter traveled to North Carolina from Oklahoma to pick the girl up.
Porter is listed on the California sex offender registry as having committed lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14. Though he is not listed on the Oklahoma sex offender registry. A court document said Porter does not have a home address and is believed to be a flight risk.
Porter was booked into the St. Louis County Justice Center on Wednesday, and had a court appearance Friday morning, according to Missouri court dockets. He is being held on a cash-only $500,000 bond, court documents show.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma man, sex offender found with missing North Carolina teen
