WHITEHALL, Pa. — Channel 11 has learned disturbing new details about the man accused of luring a local teenager from her home.
A 14-year-old girl from Whitehall was reported missing on Sunday, then found on Monday at the home of Christopher P. Jones, 27, of Luzerne County. He was arrested and faces several charges, including unlawful contact with a minor, interference with the custody of children, corruption of minors and criminal attempt to commit several sex offenses.
RELATED COVERAGE >>> Luzerne County man accused of luring Whitehall teen through social media
During a press conference on Wednesday, investigators with Whitehall police, FBI, Secret Service, and Allegheny County police discussed their tireless work to bring the girl home.
“If it wasn’t for everybody pulling together, she probably would not have been located in 24 hours,” said Whitehall police chief Jason Gagorik.
One of the most crucial pieces of evidence was the 14-year-old girl’s iPad that she used to communicate with Jones, according to Gagorik. Investigators believe the two messaged one another on the app Discord.
“It was discovered that ‘Memphis Row’ was aware of the teen’s age, discussed specific sexual acts with the teen, offered to bring the teen to his home to visit an amusement park in the eastern part of the state, and suggested their cover story would be that they were father and daughter,” Gagorik said.
Investigators said within two days of the suspect messaging this teenage girl online, he was already driving across the state to pick her up. They were able to track Jones down using license plate recognition and pinged his cell phone.
“These threats, frankly, move at the speed of social media, but if you are out there trying to prey on a minor, I want you to know that so, too, does law enforcement move at the speed of social media,” said Rick Evanchec, FBI Special Agent in Charge.
Investigators stressed the importance of always staying vigilant about what apps your children are using, who they’re messaging, and what their online profiles look like.
“Children are vulnerable. They don’t yet know what right and wrong is, and we need to help them,” Evanchec said. “Don’t ever send a picture. Don’t communicate with someone you don’t know. If you do communicate with someone you don’t know, tell your parents, tell a teacher.”
We’ve learned that Jones has no previous criminal record. He’s in the Luzerne County Jail and will be brought back to Allegheny County to face charges.
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