A 32-year-old Southern California man is accused of housing and engaging in sexual relations with an Arizona teenager who ran away from home after the two spoke online, according to federal prosecutors.
Trevon Nathaniel Langstaff was arrested in his Long Beach apartment on Wednesday after a missing 14-year-old girl was found at the home.
The girl’s family realized she was missing on Tuesday morning, according to the office of United States Attorney Martin Estrada. When searching their neighborhood and speaking to her friends, her family learned that she’d talked about running away from home the week prior and that she’d talked to a man online who “harbored” teenagers.
Prosecutors said she told the friend that the man was hosting two other teens at the time and that he’d provide her with a room to stay in and a cell phone.
Langstaff and the young girl met on an online Reddit forum for runaways, prosecutors said. Phone records showed that the pair had been in communication.
Law enforcement raided Langstaff’s apartment on Wednesday morning. They found the girl in a closet in the home, according to officials.
She told investigators that she and Langstaff engaged in sexual relations after she arrived at the apartment.
Langstaff was charged with transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. He’s scheduled to make his first court appearance Thursday afternoon.
The FBI and Long Beach Police Department are currently heading the investigation into Langstaff.