WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. – A U.S. Marine was arrested after he traveled to Florida and had sex with a 14-year-old girl he met on social media, according to the West Melbourne Police Department.
Police said 21-year-old Sean Rudziewicz, a Marine stationed in Louisiana, began an online relationship with the teen using the app Omegle, which lets strangers meet one another through video chats.
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Rudziewicz furthered the relationship by messaging the teen through other social media apps, like Discord and Snapchat, police said.
On Jan. 16, Rudziewicz flew into the Melbourne International Airport to celebrate his birthday and spend time with the girl, according to the department. In a release, police said he took her to the movies, the mall and the beach during his stay in Florida.
On Wednesday, the girl’s mother reported her missing to police, the release shows. The mother went through the messages on the teen’s phone and eventually figured out that she was with Rudziewicz, police said.
Police said they then found Rudziewicz, who was hiding the teen under a bed.
Rudziewicz later told investigators that he brought the teen to the America’s Best Value Inn along West New Haven Avenue on Jan. 21, where he had sex with her at least once, police said.
Rudziewicz faces charges of lewd and lascivious battery and felony interference with child custody. He is held on $70,000 bond.
“Parents, please take this time to speak to your children about the dangers of technology and social media,” wrote Lt. Graig Erenstoft. “If you allow your children to have devices, make it a point to check their tablets, computers and phones. A nosey parent is a good parent.”
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