Man performs sex acts on teen, leaves her in woods over Christmas, Louisiana cops say
A Louisiana man was arrested after deputies said he dropped off a missing 14-year-old girl in the woods with a tent over Christmas.
Alexander Materne, 28, picked up the teen from her house in Tennessee on Dec. 23 and took her to his house in St. Rose, about a 20-mile drive west from New Orleans, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a Dec. 26 news release.
Materne is accused of performing sex acts on the teen — whom he met while playing an online game — at his home, according to the release.
Then, Materne bought the teen food, water and a tent and left her in a secluded area in the woods while he went to celebrate Christmas with his family, deputies said.
While searching for the teen, her family told detectives about Materne and his connection to the town of Jennings, where he was found at a relative’s house, according to the release.
Materne showed detectives where he left the teen, who had been alone in the woods for about two days, the Jennings Police Department said in a Dec. 26 news release.
She was then taken to a hospital for medical evaluation before being reunited with her family, deputies said.
Materne was charged in the Tangipahoa Parish with contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and aggravated kidnapping of a child, deputies said.
He will be transported to the St. Charles Parish Nelson Coleman Correctional Center on an arrest warrant for human trafficking and carnal knowledge, authorities said.
Human trafficking in the US
Human trafficking is a “crime of exploitation,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Traffickers profit off their victims by forcing them to engage in sex acts or do labor.
“With an estimated 27.6 million victims worldwide at any given time, human traffickers prey on people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities, exploiting them for their own profit,” officials said.
Industries where trafficking victims are forced to work include hospitality, restaurants, agriculture, construction, landscaping, factories, home care, salons, massage parlors, retail, janitorial and many more, officials said.
In the U.S., children in welfare or juvenile justice systems, such as foster care, are the most vulnerable to human trafficking, officials said.
Children and teens experiencing homelessness, people seeking asylum, people who struggle with substance abuse, migrant laborers, people who identify as part of the LGBTQ community and victims of domestic violence are also more vulnerable to becoming victims of human trafficking
“Traffickers can be strangers, acquaintances, or even family members, and they prey on the vulnerable and on those seeking opportunities to build for themselves a brighter future,” officials said.
This story was originally published December 27, 2024 at 2:55 PM with the headline "Man performs sex acts on teen, leaves her in woods over Christmas, Louisiana cops say."
