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CINCINNATI (WXIX) – A New York man pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, stemming from the disappearance of a Colerain Township teenager who went missing for nearly a month.
Kyle Lawrence, 43, of Buffalo, admitted he used Snapchat to communicate with the 16-year-old girl and used the app’s location services to find her. He drove from Buffalo to Cincinnati twice in January, renting a Jeep with New York plates to make the trips.
Surveillance evidence tied Lawrence to Cincinnati hotel
Surveillance video, license plate readers and hotel receipts confirmed Lawrence and the minor stayed at a Cincinnati-area hotel together on January 31, according to court documents.
The teenager was found in mid-March with another man in Florida. Her disappearance had prompted searches by the FBI, her family and friends.
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According to prosecutors, this was not Lawrence’s first contact with law enforcement. He was reported to the FBI in May 2024 after a citizen vigilante group confronted him in Canada, where prosecutors say he had traveled to have sexual contact with a purported 15-year-old girl.
FBI agents in Buffalo also seized several electronic devices from his home containing child sexual abuse material.
Sentencing
Lawrence faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison. Both sides have recommended that 10-year sentence, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. No sentencing date has been set. The judge will have the final say.
Family friend reacts
A family friend, Angie Thompson, provided a statement to reporters.
“I do just want parents to monitor their child’s devices more, I just want her to live a normal life. No teenage girl should ever have to go through what she went through,” Thompson said.
Expert urges parents to talk to children about online risks
Dave Hatter, a cybersecurity expert, said the most important step parents can take is to have open conversations with their children.
“If someone wants to meet you in person, if someone starts asking inappropriate questions, if someone starts asking you to send nude photos or any of this sort of stuff, you know, ideally, you’ve built a relationship with your child that they feel safe to come and tell you about it,” Hatter said.
Hatter also noted that parental controls are available through internet service providers.
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