Sydney teen lured to US on Snapchat by convicted killer
A Sydney teenager who was allegedly groomed over Snapchat and lured to the US by a 39-year-old convicted killer has been rescued, more than a month after she vanished.
The 16-year-old girl disappeared from Sydney’s elite north shore on April 11 after starting an online relationship with career-criminal Sean Price in October last year.
After exchanging months of naked photos, the pair arranged an American rendezvous, with Price transferring $2,150 for a ticket to LAX.
When the teenager failed to return to her Lindfield family home, her parents lodged a missing persons report, at which point she was already in transit to visit Price.
Price’s lengthy rap sheet includes a 1995 conviction for negligent homicide, robbery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, criminal trespass, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Sickening details were tendered to Brooklyn’s Magistrate Court, with Price admitting to having sex with the Australian girl in several states during their 12,000km road trip from Los Angeles to Brooklyn.
It wasn’t until April 30 that the NYPD received information from both the AFP and Interpol that the teenager was in New York.
Police allege that they arrived at Price’s mother’s Brooklyn home, where they discovered the pair hiding in the basement and arrested on May 12.
“A number of inquiries were made by police who were able to determine the teenager had left the country and travelled to the United States,” the AFP said in a statement.
“Collaboration between the Australian Federal Police and US law enforcement officials led to the girl being located in New York State in the company of a 39-year-old man on Friday, 12 May.
“The man was arrested and charged with a number of offences relating to his conduct and interactions with the girl and will face court action in the US."
The teenager has since been flown back to Australia.
Price is now facing 10 years behind bars after he was charged with third degree rape and transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
He was denied bail, given the address he submitted was his mother’s Brooklyn home.
