A Wisconsin man accused of taking a teen girl over 700 miles from her Tennessee home has been charged with sexual exploitation, following her father’s arrest for rape.
WATE ABC 6 reports that a U.S. Attorney stated the suspect, 31-year-old Bryan David Rogers (pictured left), persuaded the 14-year-old girl to “engage in sexually explicit conduct” in an attempt to obtain the recorded video for evidence. He then allegedly convinced her to leave her home and go with him to his Madison, Wisconsin, home, where he lives with his mother.
According to the arrest affidavit, Rogers met the girl through an online game. The girl reportedly confessed to Rogers that her adoptive father was sexually assaulting her. Rogers then talked the girl into engaging in sex with her father while recording it. The teen then sent the video to Rogers.
Afterward, Rogers allegedly drove to Tennessee, picked the girl up, and returned home to Wisconsin. At some point during the investigation into her disappearance, the girl contact the FBI in St. Louis, Missouri. Another FBI tip led investigators to her location. She’d been missing for a little over two weeks before authorities found her.
When authorities confronted him, Rogers initially denied meeting the teen girl in person, and claimed he had no idea where she was. After meeting with Rogers’ mother, investigators gained access to the home and found the girl hiding inside a closet in the basement.
Rogers told the investigators he never turned over the sexually explicit video because he didn’t think it would be admissible in court. He’s now facing sexual exploitation and child abduction charges.
Meanwhile, the teen’s adoptive father, 41-year-old Randall Pruitt (pictured right), was arrested Thursday and charged with rape after authorities said they found “explicit photos and a video” on the teen girl’s online footprints. His first court hearing is scheduled for February 5.
According to the arrest affidavit, Monroe County investigators obtained a search warrant for the girl’s email and online records. They found multiple photos and a video of Pruitt having sex with the girl, which had been sent to Rogers.
Since the girl is the alleged victim of a sexual assault, CrimeOnline is withholding her name.
During a press conference last week, Jones said the girl likely wanted to get away from a “bad home life.”
The teen disappeared from her Madisonville home on January 13. Investigators located her the same day Pruitt was arrested. Authorities took a flight to Wisconsin on Friday and brought the girl back to Tennessee. She’s said to be safe and healthy, but she is not with family at this time.
“She is safe, she is in custody so that’s a very good ending to this,” MCSO officials said. “She’s doing fine.”
Prior to finding her, police said one the girl’s two cellphones pinged in Corbin, Kentucky. Corbin is around 130 miles from Madisonville.
The girl is the eldest of four children. Pruitt indicated last week that she was homeschooled, while the other three children attended public school. The family recently moved to Madisonville from Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Due to the integrity of the investigation, authorities can only provide limited information at this time.
“I’m having to be vague in all my statements because this is still an ongoing investigation,” Monroe County Sheriff, Tommy Jones, said “There’s the possibility of multiple other charges coming forward with multiple people involved. And truthfully that’s about all we can say at this time.”
Pruitt, who appeared on several news outlets pleading for the girl’s safe return, remains at the Monroe County jail without bail.
Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
[Feature Photo: Bryan Rogers, Randall Pruitt/Police Handout]
