An active-duty U.S. Marine was arrested after allegedly traveling from North Carolina to Indiana to meet, kidnap, and sexually assault a 12-year-old girl from Hammond, according to the FBI.
Agents took 24-year-old William Richard Roy of Camp Lejeune into custody in Durham, North Carolina, on Sunday.
He faces federal charges that include enticement of a minor to travel for illicit sexual activity, transportation of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity, and interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor.
The investigation began Saturday when the FBI Indianapolis Field Office received information from the Hammond Police Department about the missing girl. The child's grandmother had reported her disappearance earlier that day.
Authorities say Roy allegedly flew to Chicago on Friday, then took an Uber to Hammond, where he met the girl at a park. The two reportedly traveled by Uber back to Chicago, stayed overnight at a hotel, and later boarded a Greyhound bus bound for North Carolina.
FBI agents in Durham arrested Roy when the bus arrived and safely recovered the child. The investigation remains active and is being handled jointly by the FBI's Indianapolis, Charlotte, and Chicago field offices, with assistance from the Hammond Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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