A teenager who went missing from Missouri in December has been found alive, 700 miles away from home, in the closet of a registered sex offender.
The unnamed 16-year-old girl from Columbia was found in Fort Collins, just outside of Denver, Colorado, in a raid on the home of Maximilian Bondrescu.
Police had raided the property as part of a kidnapping probe, with the New York Post reporting that law enforcement had received a tip that the teen had been spotted at the home.
The teenage girl had been missing since December 6, after suddenly going silent on social media.
Bondrescu, 44, who is a registered sex offender, had initially denied the teenager was there, but police claim they found her hidden in a closet when they searched the property.
He is accused of kidnapping the young girl after renting a vehicle to pick her up in Missouri, with the teenager alleging that Bondrescu then held her against her will after taking her to his home.
She told police that Bondrescu had allegedly only let her out of the home sometimes, making her work for his snow removal company, where he had her wear a mask to conceal her age and identity, until she was finally rescued on April 18.
According to 9News, Bondrescu had allegedly used the social media apps Boo and Snapchat to communicate with the teenager, with the child's father reporting her missing after she failed to turn up to school.
The victim reportedly told police that she had asked to go home in January and February, but Bondrescu told her he did not have the money for the journey.
Fort Collins Police Assistant Chief Kristy Volesky said: "The importance of the work done by the Fort Collins Police Cyber Crime Unit, and similar units across the nation play a vital role in helping to keep our children safe.
"Had it not been for the diligent work of these detectives, the juvenile could have continued to be victimized. Our investigators will now work closely with the District Attorney’s Office to ensure justice for this child."
Bondrescu was arrested on suspicion of second-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault, sexual assault on a child, false imprisonment, failure to register as a sex offender, child abuse, harboring a minor and obstructing a peace officer.