CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Federal authorities are questioning a man in their custody about the disappearance of a Colerain Township teenager who was last seen weeks ago.
Prosecutors believe the man met up with 16-year-old Madison Fields.
Police said Fields was last seen getting into a black Jeep Cherokee in the 7400 block of Colerain Avenue on Feb. 13.
Her family has launched a search and is asking anyone with information to come forward. Meanwhile, federal authorities may have a suspect in her disappearance.
According to the FBI, 43-year-old Kyle Lawrence of Buffalo, New York, was arrested at his home Thursday and taken into federal custody after a citizen-vigilante group caught him trying to meet with a 16-year-old girl in Canada in May 2024.
“It sounds to me from looking at the criminal complaint that they asked him questions the day before they arrested him,” former U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman said.
Federal prosecutors said video surveillance at a Colerain Township home showed a juvenile getting into a black Jeep Grand Cherokee with New York license plates, and Lawrence and the child spent the night at a Cincinnati hotel on Jan. 31.
“Sounds again, based on the allegations in the criminal complaint, like he made a bunch of admissions during that interview,” Glassman explained.
Madison Fields has been missing since Feb. 13
Prosecutors said Lawrence used Snapchat to communicate with the unidentified Colerain Township juvenile and to meet up with them.
Court records show Lawrence later admitted to traveling to Greater Cincinnati twice to meet with the juvenile.
“If he’s got information that can lead to the safe return of that minor child, this would be his opportunity,” Glassman said. “This is his opportunity to give that information to federal law enforcement; otherwise, he’s going to be looking at the rest of his life in prison.”
Dave Rader, director of search and recovery team Texas Equusearch Midwest, spoke to Madison’s family shortly after she went missing.
“We come to learn that there was somebody that was grooming her and she spent time with two other times,” Rader said.Colerain’s police chief said in a statement:
“We thank Madison’s family and the public for their continued support and assistance in this investigation. Colerain Police and our partners are working day and night to find Madison and bring her home.”
“She could be anywhere. She could be in between here and Buffalo. She could be trafficked. She could be on the West Coast by now. The only person that truly knows this is the person that was last seen with her,” Rader explained.
Lawrence has been charged with transportation with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, travel with intent to engage in illicit conduct and transportation of child pornography. Again, federal documents do not mention Madison Fields by name.
If convicted on all the charges, Lawrence could face from 10 years to life in prison.
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