A 14-year-old girl from Tennessee who had been missing was recently discovered safe in the woods of Louisiana. Authorities reported that she was taken there by a man she had met online.
Alexander Materne, who is 28 years old, picked her up from her home on December 23 and took her to his place in St. Rose, Louisiana, where they engaged in sexual activity.
It was only after this that the girl revealed her age, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office. Following that, Materne drove her to a remote wooded spot in Tangipahoa Parish and left her there with a tent, food, and water before heading off to celebrate Christmas with his family in Jennings, Louisiana.
Sheriff Gerald Sticker of Tangipahoa Parish mentioned that they had connected through a gaming platform and arranged for Materne to drive to Tennessee to meet her.
He’s now facing multiple serious charges like aggravated kidnapping of a minor and felony human trafficking along with carnal knowledge charges. As of now, jail records don’t indicate whether he has an attorney representing him.
Sticker shared that the breakthrough in the case happened when the girl’s parents took matters into their own hands. They managed to trace Materne to Jennings, Louisiana, where his family lived—roughly 160 miles west of St. Rose, where he was originally from.
Those parents were crucial to solving this, Sticker remarked. Honestly, if they ever wanted a job in investigations, I’d hire them on the spot!
On Christmas Eve, Jennings Police Chief Danny Semmes mentioned that they received a tip about Materne possibly having the girl with him in Jennings. However, when officers went to check at his family’s home, they learned he no longer resided there.
The following day brought new information: Materne had returned to celebrate Christmas with his family and agreed to speak with police. When questioned about the girl, he eventually led detectives to where he had dropped her off in Tangipahoa Parish.
Authorities explained that Materne guided detectives through some woods about 42 miles from his place; she had been there for around two days.
You really can’t make this up—it’s like a Christmas miracle that she was found safe! This could have turned out so much worse, Sticker commented. After being rescued, the girl was taken to a hospital for an examination and then reunited with her family, according to investigators.