KIRKWOOD, Mo. — "It just didn't look right, " Chief Bryan Gillard with the Monroe Police Department said.
Police in Monroe, North Carolina, said Kirkwood police officers were in the right place at the right time on Wednesday night. Investigators said the officers first spotted a suspicious vehicle parked in an odd spot at the Lowe's parking lot, located near Lindbergh and Interstate 44 in St. Louis County.
"The officers initially made contact with the driver, 30-year-old Christopher James Porter. That's not all the Kirkwood police officers saw. The officers observed a young female in the passenger seat," Cpt. Steve Morton with the Monroe Police Department said.
That passenger was a 16-year-old girl who had been missing from North Carolina for nearly two months.
Kirkwood police quickly arrested convicted sex offender, Christopher Porter.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged Porter on Thursday with numerous offenses, including statutory rape and statutory sodomy.
"Thank goodness these officers took it upon themselves to go up to this vehicle, and she was in it," Morton said.
Police said Porter traveled from Oklahoma to Monroe, North Carolina, picked up the girl and then drove more than 700 miles to Kirkwood.
It was still unclear Thursday night when the suspect went to Kirkwood.
The girl told police she ran away from home after meeting Porter on a social media app.
"Getting a device ultimately allows you to have some control over where your kids are going online," said Chris Montgomery, director of sales at ThrottleNet. The Sunset Hills Company helps businesses protect themselves from cyberattacks.
Montgomery also had this reminder for parents who want to protect their children from online predators.
"There are various devices that are out there that people can buy that can allow parents some level of control and understanding what their kids are doing online," Montgomery said. "The device that I happen to use is a Circle Device. Sometimes your router can allow for this capability. Again, all this just to ensure their children don't end up in the wrong place online."
In the meantime, more people are expressing praise for the eagle-eyed Kirkwood police officers who helped her parents.
"I'm very thankful for the good, old-fashioned police work Kirkwood did," Chief Bryan Gilliard said. "Again, in my opinion, those officers really did go the extra mile to make sure this girl was safe."
As of Thursday night, Christopher Porter was being held at the St. Louis County jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
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