MONROE, N.C. — A 16-year-old girl who had been missing from Monroe, North Carolina since Oct. 13 has been found.
Editor's note: WCNC Charlotte is choosing to not name the victim referenced in this case because they are a minor. Any previous mentions of the victim's name and the victim's photo have been removed after they were found by authorities.
On Wednesday, the Monroe Police Department confirmed she was reunited with her family and that a suspect had been charged in her disappearance.
The teenager was found in Kirkwood, Missouri, according to police. Authorities in Kirkwood were investigating a suspicious vehicle parked in parking lot. Inside the vehicle, they located the teenager and the suspect, 30-year-old Christopher James Porter.
The teenager told police she met Porter on anonymous social media apps, authorities said. Porter, a convicted sex offender, reportedly convinced her to run away from home. He is accused of traveling from Oklahoma to Monroe to pick her up. He is being held on a $500,000 bond in St. Louis County Jail.
According to police, Porter took advantage of online comments made by the teenager about stress and wanting to run away.
Porter is charged with numerous offenses in Missouri, police said.
The girl's parents flew to Missouri on Wednesday night to reunite with their child.
Monroe Police are asking for the public to respect the family as they "heal and recover" now that the teenager is safe.
"The response from the public and the assistance from other agencies, law enforcement, public and private entities has been tremendous and immeasurably helpful during this investigation. Our detectives have worked tirelessly to get to this resolution, and I could not be more proud or pleased with their efforts," Monroe Police Chief J. Bryan Gilliard said in a news release.
Porter is expected to face more charges as the investigation continues, according to the police department.
“Our detectives scoured every lead, followed every tip and left no stone unturned in our pursuit,” Gilliard said in a statement.
Angeline Hartman with the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children said with the rise of social media, stories like these are becoming more common.
There’s definitely been an increase," Hartman said. "We’ve seen the number of online incitement reports double in one year from 2021 to 2022.”
She said it's up to parents and asked them to stay on top of their children's activity.
"They need to figure out what apps they are on, what social media, and understand what is happening online, and realize predators can target your kids while at home," Hartman said. This could have ended up so differently.”
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