A 14-year-old girl from Tennessee has been reported missing after allegedly being abandoned in the woods by an individual she encountered online, according to the sheriff’s office.
A 14-year-old girl from Tennessee who had been reported missing has been located unharmed in the woods of Louisiana. Authorities indicate that she was abandoned there by a man who had previously picked her up from her home after they connected online.
On December 23, Alexander Materne, 28, took the girl to his residence in St. Rose, Louisiana, where they engaged in sexual activity. It was only after this that the girl revealed her age, according to a statement from the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities reported that Materne took the girl to a remote, forested location in Tangipahoa Parish, where he left her with a tent, food, and water. He subsequently traveled to Jennings, Louisiana, to enjoy the Christmas festivities with his family, according to officials.
The Sheriff of Tangipahoa Parish, Gerald Sticker, reported that the two individuals connected through a gaming platform and arranged for Materne to travel to her residence in Tennessee.
Materne is confronted with multiple allegations, such as severe child abduction and serious offenses related to human trafficking and illicit relations. The jail records do not indicate whether he has legal representation available to comment for him.
According to Sticker, the turning point in the case occurred when the girl’s parents took matters into their own hands and managed to trace Materne to Jennings, Louisiana, where his family resided, approximately 160 miles (257 kilometers) west of Materne’s home in St. Rose.
“They played a crucial role in everything,” Sticker stated. “I assure you, if they’re looking for work, I would gladly employ both of these parents as investigators.”
On Christmas Eve, a call was received by Jennings Police Chief Danny Semmes regarding Materne potentially having the girl in Jennings. However, when officers arrived at the family home, they were informed that he no longer resided there. The following day, authorities were informed that Materne had arrived at the family residence to partake in Christmas festivities, and he consented to speak with the officers.
Officials reported that Materne subsequently guided detectives to the girl’s whereabouts in the forest, approximately 42 miles (68 kilometers) from his residence. She had spent approximately two days there.
“This is unbelievable.” Her safe return is nothing short of a holiday miracle. “This situation had the potential to turn out very poorly,” Sticker remarked.
According to investigators, the girl was taken to a hospital for an examination and subsequently reunited with her family.