ST. LOUIS — A man was arrested on a charge relating to a child kidnapping in St. Louis last month.
The man from Chesterfield, Missouri, was arrested on July 23, 2023. He was charged with accessory to child kidnapping, a Class A felony, on July 23 and released on July 24 on his own recognizance.
Police say the man helped another man "harbor" two girls in an apartment on July 21, 2023. The girls were taken from their mother by an unnamed suspect and kept in the apartment. Police say the man prevented the girls from returning to their mother by stopping the police from entering the apartment.
The relationship, if any, between the unnamed suspect and the girls and their mother was not immediately known.
“The charges are completely unfounded," said Scott Rosenblum, the man's attorney. "I am confident he will be exonerated.”
The man was named by Newsweek and other media as one of the thousands of people who contributed money to fund the movie "Sound of Freedom." The film was released on July 4, 2023, and dramatizes an organization's work to rescue victims of child trafficking.
Angel Studios, the "Sound of Freedom" distributor, released a statement Friday, saying 6,678 people invested an average of $748.73 into the project.
"Just as anyone can invest in the stock market, everyone who meets the legal criteria can invest in Angel Studios projects," the statement on Angel.com said.
“We’re grateful to brave law enforcement officials who have already arrested dozens of traffickers in the weeks following SOUND OF FREEDOM’s release," the statement continued. "Our film speaks to this globally-pervasive problem, and it is our hope that perpetrators everywhere will be brought to justice no matter who they are, and that even more people will see the film to raise awareness.”
A booking photo of the man was released. 5 On Your Side is not releasing the photo according to our policy on booking photos.
