Tenn. Man Left Teen He Met Online, 14, Alone In Woods, Then Celebrated Christmas with His Family: Sheriff

According to both the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office and St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, Alexander Materne met the unnamed victim playing an online game, before “arrangements were made” for the man to drive from his Louisiana home to hers in Tennessee “to pick up the female so she could stay with him.”

That happened, per authorities, on December 23, before he brought her back to his home and “they allegedly engaged in sexual acts.” It’s then, according to the sheriff, the victim revealed her age.

The two then left his home, before he allegedly “bought the female a tent, food, and water and dropped her off in a wooded area in Tangipahoa Parish.” He then went to celebrate Christmas with his family.

Speaking with the AP, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Gerald Sticker said the girl’s parents were “key” to finding their daughter. Sticker said they did their own investigating and tracked Materne to his family members in Jennings, Louisiana.

“They were the key to all of this,” he shared, adding, “I’m telling you if they want a job, I’ll hire both of these parents as investigators.”

When Jennings Police first checked the family home on Christmas Eve, they were reportedly told Materne didn’t live there. They were then notified the following day that he showed up for Christmas celebrations, before Materne allegedly agreed to speak with authorities.

Per the sheriff, he also “agreed to show detectives where he dropped off the female,” before she was located “in good health” in the woods and taken to a hospital for evaluation. She had reportedly been in the area for about two days — and was later returned to her family.

“You can’t make this stuff up. It’s a Christmas miracle that she was found safe. This thing could’ve ended badly,” Sticker told AP.

Materne was booked on one count of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and one count of aggravated kidnapping of a child by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office; he’s also facing human trafficking and carnal knowledge charges from the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.