The New Hampshire dad of a seven-year-old girl who hasn't been seen since 2019 has been arrested after his daughter was reported missing only recently, police confirmed on Wednesday, ABC News reports.
Adam Montgomery, 31, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with felony second-degree assault, interference with custody, and two misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the disappearance of his young daughter, Harmony Montgomery, police say.
At the time of writing, Harmony remains missing.
Last week, the Manchester Police Department said it had only just received a report that the youngster had disappeared, despite the fact she hadn't been seen since late 2019.
"The circumstances surrounding this prolonged absence are very concerning and are being thoroughly investigated," police said.
According to an affidavit filed on Wednesday in Hillsborough County Superior Court, Harmony's mother, Crystal Sorey, contacted the Manchester Police Department on November 18 and told them she had not seen her daughter in at least half a year.
She later told authorities she had not seen her daughter, who was in the physical and legal custody of her former partner, Montgomery, since April 2019, when she saw her during a video call.
On December 27, the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth, and Families told investigators that it could not find Harmony.
Police ascertained that the young girl had last been seen at a Manchester home by authorities during a "call for service" at the end of October 2019, Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg said during a news conference on Friday.
Sorey revealed to police that she and Montgomery both had issues with substance abuse, but she eventually managed to abstain from drugs and had since tried to find Montgomery and Harmony. The last time she saw Harmony, on the video call, she seemed scared, Sorey stated to police, as per the affidavit.
On Friday, investigators found Montgomery sleeping in a car with his girlfriend, the affidavit said.
"During our roadside interview with Adam, he made some contradictory statements during our interaction, which raised our suspicion and concern for [Harmony's] well-being," it went on to say.
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