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Child Rescued After Faked Online Persona Lures Girl
10 Apr
Summary
- A 12-year-old girl was rescued following a car crash.
- The driver, a registered sex offender, used social media to lure the child.
- The suspect faces kidnapping and resisting arrest charges.
A 12-year-old girl, reported missing from North Carolina, was rescued following a traffic incident over the weekend. Deputies in Hocking County responded to a crash on US-33 where they encountered 45-year-old Virgil E. Larson Jr., a registered sex offender, with the child.
Suspicious of the circumstances, authorities investigated further, uncovering that Larson had allegedly lured the girl using a fabricated online persona on social media, pretending to be a boy her age. The victim was transported to a local hospital for necessary evaluation.
Larson was subsequently arrested and booked into the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail. He is currently facing charges including kidnapping and resisting arrest.
