CINCINNATI (WXIX) – A second suspect has been federally charged in the ongoing investigation of the previously missing Colerain Township teenager found in Florida.
Stephen Negron, 42, of Rogersville, Tennessee, is accused of transporting a 16-year-old girl with the intent of engaging in criminal sexual activity, according to U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Ohio Dominick Gerace II.
The teen was reported missing Feb. 16 after her parents had not seen or heard from her in three days.
Stephen Negron(Laurel County Correctional Center)
Federal court documents say the teenager told her mom she was staying the weekend at a local friend’s house, a place she has stayed before. However, the parent of the friend told police the last time she saw the missing teen was Feb. 13.
Through cell phone records, security footage, license plate readers and a previous protection order out of Texas, investigators were able to track down the 16-year-old at a Florida hotel, allegedly with Negron.
If convicted, Negron could face 10 years to life in prison.
“I want to commend the excellent work of the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation, recovery, and prosecution,” said Gerace. “My office is proud to partner with these outstanding public servants to ensure that our children remain safe from those who seek to prey upon them.”
A timeline of the investigationFeb. 16: Teenager is reported missing
After reporting the teen missing, her father told police he believed his daughter may be meeting a male named Josh, whom he had never heard of until that day.
That same day, one of the girl’s friends reported to police that she received a text from an unknown number claiming to be the victim.
“Tell (redacted) I’m ok,” the text read.
A federal complaint says the redacted name is believed to be her boyfriend.
The friend then tried to contact the number again, but received a response from someone who was not believed to be the victim.
“She will get rape, and is being rape,” the text said.
Feb. 18 – Feb. 21: Phone records
According to the complaint, the missing teen’s father was advised on Feb. 18 that his daughter met “Josh” on Session, a private messaging app, and that she was going to visit him.
The victim’s father provided Colerain police her social media account information.
On Feb. 21, Cincinnati FBI agents obtained a search warrant for the victim’s cell phone records. Her phone was powered off at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 13.
Before it was turned off, the victim’s phone was see at the intersection of Cheviot and West Galbraith roads at 4:19 p.m. that day. It then traveled East from the victim’s home near the Winton Road exit of the Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway.
“Investigators reviewed footage from the Thorntons gas station located at 3203 W Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45239, which showed the road in front of the business,” the complaint says.
Officials saw a silver Chevrolet truck with a Tennessee license plate that matched a tipster’s description at the same time and location as the victim’s phone, the complaint alleges.
Using license plate readers and surround businesses’ security footage to track the truck, investigators discovered that the vehicle had allegedly made a roundtrip from Tennessee to Cincinnati, and then returned to Tennessee.
They also found Stephen Negron is the owner of the truck, court documents say.
Feb. 24: “Dad Bod”
An individual, whose name is redacted from court documents, tells Colerain police that on or around Jan. 31, the victim met a person online that she called “Dad Bod,” the complaint says.
Based on statements made, police believed the man was around 40 years old.
“(Redacted) stated that MV (minor victim) was in contact with the man for about a month before her disappearance and had previously met him in person at a hotel approximately one week before she went missing,” court documents say.
“(Redacted) said MV stayed with the man for a weekend returned to their home happy, telling that the man bought MV vapes. (Redacted) told law enforcement she thought MV was with the man now.”
March 11-12: Suspect has protection order against him
A special agent with the FBI began surveillance on Negron’s Rogersville home, spotting a silver Chevrolet Silverado truck in the driveway.
On March 12, law enforcement saw someone getting into a white pickup truck parked at Negron’s home. They were not able to get a physical description of the person due to the distance.
“Law enforcement observed additional movement within the residence after the truck left the premises to include observing the interior lights going from on to off, indicating a second occupant at the residence,” the complaint states.
Meanwhile, investigators discovered Negron had a 2024 protection order filed against him out of Texas by an 18-year-old.
Court documents say the victim met Negron online when she was 16 years old, and when he was 41. They continued a “long-distance relationship” from January 2024 to May 2024.
“Negron also told MV2 (second minor victim) that if she ever ran away from him, he would break MV2’s ankles and toes. Negron also made MV2 download the Session chat application. MV2 advised there was only child pornography on Session …,” the complaint states.
In May 2024, Negron traveled from Florida and Tennessee to meet up with the teen and brought her back to Tennessee where he allegedly drugged her, sexually assaulted her and threatened her and her family, court documents say.
A few days later, Negron was arrested but was never convicted of the charges against him in the protection order, investigators say. However, a criminal complaint has since been filed in the Eastern District of Tennessee.
After learning about the protection order, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Negron’s home.
March 13: Law enforcement finds Negron in Florida with victim
While searching his home in Rogersville, court documents say law enforcement found the following items:
A similar backpack to the one missing teen had when she went missingClothes that belonged to a teenage girlA Metro by T-Mobile SIM card container with no card inside A Motorola G cell phone box with a phone number written on it
After requesting the cell phone records assigned to the number on the Motorola box, T-Mobile identified the owner as Negron.
Gerace says the new phone number pinged to a Quality Inn & Suites at Palatka Riverfront Hotel in Palatka, Florida. Negron had driven a white work truck with a Virginia license plate to get there.
“Law enforcement obtained tenant information telephonically from the Quality Inn & Suites Palatka Riverfront Hotel which identified Negron and one minor as the tenant renting room 142 of the hotel,” the complaint alleges.
Negron was arrested that day on charges out of the Eastern District of Tennessee related to his case in Texas. He will be transferred to the Southern District of Ohio to face his charges involving the Colerain teen, Gerace said.
Suspect promised to give victim a better life: ‘There was no way to get away’
According to the complaint, the teen victim gave officials more details as to how she met Negron.
She says the two met on Tumblr, a social media app meant for blogging and networking.
The victim says he reached out to her and told her “he could take her in, give her a better life, get her necessities, and get her clothes.”
“MV told Negron that she was 16 years old and Negron told MV that it was ok and that he was willing to risk getting in trouble,” the complaint states.
The next week, he allegedly picked her up down the street from her residence in a grey Silverado. While in the vehicle, Negron allegedly made the victim delete things out of her cell phone and destroyed her phone.
When they arrived to his home in Tennessee, the victim told law enforcement that the situation was different from what she thought it was.
“Negron told MV that he would have taken MV even if she was younger than 16 years old. MV thought it was just going to be a new household situation,” court documents say.
He also allegedly admitted to taking another girl in the past, the teen told officials.
“MV stated that ‘she was already with him, there was no way to get away,’” the complaint states.
[Watch more FOX19 NOW videos]New York man also accused of having criminal involvement with teen
Kyle Lawrence, 43, of Buffalo, has also been charged for his involvement with the teen, federal prosecutors say.
On March 12, Lawrence was indicted by a grand jury on sexual exploitation charges, including transportation with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity (a crime punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison) and transportation of child pornography (five to 20 years in prison).
Although Lawrence and Negron are accused of sex crimes involving the same victim, the incidents are “unrelated,” according to Cincinnati FBI spokesperson Todd Lindgren.
“They are not believed to have interacted or known one another,” Lindgren said.
clarification: We are no longer identifying the formerly missing teen as she is now considered a victim.
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