WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. — A 22-year-old U.S. Marine is accused of traveling to West Melbourne to have sex with a teen girl.
Sean Rudziewicz is charged with lewd and lascivious battery and felony interference with child custody.
Rudziewicz was stationed in Louisiana when he started an online relationship with a 14-year-old girl, the West Melbourne Police Department said Friday in a Facebook post.
He would reportedly use the Omegle to video chat with the teen and then transitioned to the apps Discord and Snapchat to further communicate with the 14-year-old.
On Monday, Jan. 16, police say Rudziewicz flew into the Melbourne International Airport to celebrate his birthday and spend time with the teen. He took her to the mall, beach and movies.
Law enforcement says that on Wednesday, the teen girl's mother contacted the police department to report that her child was missing. The mother was able to go through her daughter's phone and know where she was and who she was with.
Authorities say when they arrived at the location where the teen was, Rudziewicz hid her under a bed. He then told police that he brought the 14-year-old to America's Best Value Inn on West New Haven Avenue on Saturday, Jan. 21.
Police say the 22-year-old told them that he has sex with the 14-year-old on at least one occasion.
"Parents, please take this time to speak to your children about the dangers of technology and Social Media," the police department wrote in the Facebook post. "If you allow your children to have devices, make it a point to check their tablets, computers and phones. A nosey parent is a good parent."
The police department says that it regularly has technology and social media classes for parents. Anyone interested is asked to visit their website.
