Police: Whitmore Lake man arrested after traveling to West Virginia to have sex with 12-year-old girl
A 33-year-old Whitmore Lake man was arrested in West Virginia as he was in the backseat of a car with a 12-year-old girl he had traveled to have sex with after meeting her online, according to reports.
Courtesy of WSAZ
Northfield Township police officers executed a search warrant on the man’s home Sunday in the 200 block of Apple Blossom Court in Northfield Township to assist the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department in West Virginia. The man has been identified by WSAZ in West Virginia as Ashlee Liebert.
According to Northfield Township police, they were told by investigators that it appears Liebert had traveled to West Virginia to have sex with the girl. Police said Liebert and the girl were caught together minutes away from the girl’s home and were both in the back seat of a vehicle.
According to WSAZ, Liebert was on top of the girl in the back seat of the vehicle and he admitted to touching her inappropriately.
Liebert has been charged with sex abuse by a parent or guardian and third-degree sexual assault, according to police.
Detectives came to Michigan to take the evidence gathered from Liebert’s home during the Northfield Township search, according to police. Putnam County investigators are still looking for any additional victims in the case, police said.
According to WSAZ, Liebert told deputies he met the 12-year-old girl on World of Warcraft, an online game, and developed a five-month-long relationship. He told police he suspected the girl was having a relationship with someone else and had gone to West Virginia in order to bring her back to Michigan to live with him, the station reported.
The girl told a friend that she was planning to run away with Liebert and that friend told a parent, who then called police, WSAZ reported.
Liebert is being held in Western Regional Jail on a $250,000 cash bond, according to WSAZ. The station reports that Liebert told police he’d still like the girl to come with him to Michigan because their “love was so strong.”
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
nowayjose
Tue, Mar 13, 2012 : 6:40 a.m.
SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tesla
Tue, Mar 13, 2012 : 2:28 a.m.
"He told police he suspected the girl was having a relationship with someone else and had gone to West Virginia in order to bring her back to Michigan to live with him, the station reported." I swear that this internet age with facebook, tweeter, world of warcraft etc etc etc is turning people into delusional addicted unproductive zombies. This guy thought his 12 year old internet girlfriend was cheating on him. Really? REALLY?
evenyoubrutus
Tue, Mar 13, 2012 : 6:49 p.m.
That is ridiculous. The internet age is not turning people into delusional addicted unproductive zombies. It's just that those people simply have a new avenue through which they can act out, and certainly have more opportunities to do so.
EyeHeartA2
Mon, Mar 12, 2012 : 11:31 p.m.
"Liebert has been charged with sex abuse by a parent or guardian" ???? Say what? Is this a mistake?
gladys
Mon, Mar 12, 2012 : 9:37 p.m.
That's why parents are supposed to monitor what their kids are doing online. Had they reported her missing?
N. Todd
Tue, Mar 13, 2012 : 2:04 a.m.
gladys- Until I read the second to the last word of your comment, I thought you were talking about Mr. Liebert's parents. Oops. I do agree with you though and congrats to the friend for 'telling'.
obviouscomment
Mon, Mar 12, 2012 : 11:18 p.m.
While I agree some instances such as this would be prevented if their parents were monitoring them more at home, kids are still very smart and will find ways to do what they want and what they think it best for them, however wrong they may be. They can use computers at libraries, internet cafes, school, friends' homes, etc. Also there are cell phones, both theirs and those that belong to their friends.
zip the cat
Mon, Mar 12, 2012 : 8:55 p.m.
Lock him up and throw away the key
treetowncartel
Mon, Mar 12, 2012 : 8:39 p.m.
If the allegations turn out to be true I sure hope he receives a stiff penalty down there in West Virginia.
ferdcom
Mon, Mar 12, 2012 : 8:51 p.m.
nice!!!