BUTTS COUNTY, Ga. — Butts County Sheriff Gary Long says he is sharing more details on the disappearance of a 14-year-old girl.
His office previously reported that the teenager vanished around midnight on Halloween. On Monday morning, they shared an update that she had been found safe and that a man was in custody related to her disappearance.
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Sheriff Long says they found her inside a Clayton County home where she had been physically injured as a result of being sexually assaulted several times.
He says Thomas Bonner, 24, had been talking to the girl on the internet and convinced her to run away to him. He even sent a rideshare to Butts County to pick her up.
“By his own admission, he was fully aware that this was a 14 year old CHILD and still proceeded to coach her into running away to him,” the sheriff wrote on social media.
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The sheriff says he’s seen posts on social media insinuating the teenager did something wrong. He says he’s sharing this information to show them that’s not the case and that the girl was manipulated.
Bonner is currently being held in the Clayton County Jail on charges of sodomy, enticing a child, aggravated child molestation, human trafficking and more.
Sheriff Long also says there are more people involved in luring her away from home.
“To the grown men that were also involved in trying to lure this child, I have your conversations and everything you sent to this child. Keep a bag packed. I will see you by THIS Friday...….that is a promise!!!!!!,” he wrote.
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