A Polk City man is accused of inappropriate sexual relations with a 16-year-old girl from Pennsylvania, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said.
According to the arrest affidavit, 28-year-old Jordan Becker met the teenage girl online earlier this year while he was playing video games with her brother. The affidavit says Becker stated he was in a relationship with the girl and called her his girlfriend.
Last month, Becker allegedly drove from Polk City to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to pick the girl up and bring her back to Polk County, Sheriff Grady Judd confirmed.
Judd said Becker and the teenager lived together for “three to four weeks” and Becker admitted they had sexual intercourse “at least three times.”
The girl’s family believed she had been staying with a friend in Pennsylvania. The girl’s brother reported her missing on July 21, saying he believed Becker may have kidnapped her. That same day, Polk County deputies found the victim at Becker’s home with him.
“We broke this case wide open because of the victim’s brother,” Judd said.
The victim said she did not tell her mother where she went out of fear that her family would be upset. Becker told deputies he knew she was underage, but he brought her to Florida “because he loved her.”
Becker is facing the following charges:
Three counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor
Travelling to meet a minor
Contributing to the delinquency of a child
Unlawful use of a two-way communication device
Interference with custody from a parent.
“This is an extremely frightening situation that easily could have ended much worse,” Judd said. “It is a stark reminder of why parents must closely monitor their children’s online activity.”