Police in Georgia say a man is behind bars after a 14-year-old Gwinnett County girl was found inside his home a little over three weeks after she vanished.
According to Fox 5 Atlanta, a lead detective in the case obtained information that led Gwinnett County police to a home off Sanders Drive in Morrow. Police then arrested Russell Cheeves, 41. Cheeves allegedly groomed the victim on a dating app and lured her to his home.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the Gwinnett Police Department issued a missing person alert for the teen on May 24 after she vanished from the parking lot at Parkview High School in Lilburn.
She was seen walking toward the student parking lot a little after 10:30 a.m., following an exam on the last day of school. Campus police said she put a laptop in her sister’s car, then placed a debit card on the car’s windshield, according to KAKE.
The teen’s phone was shut off several hours later.
“When she left, she had no money, no clothes, no nothing,” her father said before her return. “I just think somebody was coaching her, that’s just how I feel…I think someone coached her through this because she doesn’t walk anywhere.”
Court records indicate that Cheeves has been charged with interference with custody and enticing a child for indecent purposes.
“I always encourage parents to monitor their children closely. Look at their social media. If you don’t give them access to social media, even better,” Cpl. Michele Pihera said following Cheeves’ arrest, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Meanwhile, the teen was released to the custody of her parents.
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