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A young girl from North Carolina, who had been reported missing, was found safe after the car she was in crashed in Ohio. The driver, a registered sex offender, is now in custody.
The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Virgil E. Larson Jr., faces charges of first-degree kidnapping and resisting arrest, as reported by the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office. Further details can be found in their official statement.
Missing Girl Allegedly Found in Passenger Seat of Virgil E. Larson’s Car
Authorities responded to a single-vehicle accident on U.S. Route 33 during the early hours of April 5. Upon arrival, deputies found Larson—who is on the sex offender registry in Fairfield County—alongside a young female passenger.
“As the investigation unfolded, deputies grew suspicious of the situation, prompting additional questioning,” according to the sheriff’s office. “They then uncovered that the passenger was a 12-year-old girl reported missing from North Carolina the night before.”
Deputies contacted the girl’s parents, who confirmed she had disappeared, providing crucial confirmation for law enforcement.
Investigators believe that Larson used social media to lure the victim by creating a “fake scenario” in which he pretended to be a boy her age, authorities said. During the ruse, the boy said he wasn’t old enough to drive and he would have his father come get her and, according to authorities, “transport her to a safe location.”
The plan was foiled after Larson crashed the vehicle, alerting law enforcement officers to the scene.
After the crash, Larson and the girl were both transported to the hospital for evaluation. It’s unclear whether either suffered any major injuries.
Larson was later taken to the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail, where he’s currently being held on a $1 million bond for the kidnapping charge, according to jail records reviewed by Oxygen.
It’s unclear whether he has retained an attorney.
The investigation—which is being conducted in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and law enforcement agencies in North Carolina—remains ongoing, the sheriff’s office said.