A Pennsylvania man was arrested for allegedly flying cross-country to commit horrific acts of violence against a 13-year-old girl from Southern California who he’d met online and groomed for months.
Local and federal authorities announced the arrest of Matthew Edward Pysher, 18, during a press conference Monday.
“The victim told law enforcement that he had engaged in sexual conduct with her, and that he used a knife to repeatedly cut her, and that he also choked her to the point she couldn’t speak,” U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said.
“We wish we had found her sooner, but we’re lucky we found her this weekend.”
Earlier this month, the girl’s mother contacted the FBI after she said she found concerning messages on her daughter’s phone with someone. Last week, she called again to say her daughter had run away from home and left behind a suicide note.
On Friday, law enforcement officials tracked the girl’s phone to a motel room in Castaic, where she met with the suspect.
The U.S. attorney said Pysher met the victim in a Discord group chat discussing mental health issues, and encouraged her to harm herself.
The teen girl is now safe.
Pysher, meanwhile, is expected to make his first appearance in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Monday afternoon on one count of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
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