Teenager Missing For 23 Days, Was Held Captive And Repeatedly Raped Before Rescue, Suspect In Custody

A 15-year-old Brooklyn, Ohio teenager who went missing 23-days-ago has finally been reunited with her family on Thursday night. Chris Schroeder, 41, has been arrested and charged for kidnapping and rape, as he allegedly raped the teen repeatedly for the three weeks while holding her captive in his Missouri home.

Daily Mail reports that according to the FBI Chris Schroeder and the young victim reportedly met online via a social media app called Kik. in October. The Ohio teenager reportedly told the much older man that she was unhappy at home, a statement friends and family corroborated by telling authorities she had intended to run away. Despite her age, the 41-year-old man told her he could pick her up and help. On November 8, the girl reportedly went outside to walk the dog when she went missing; her step-sister found the dog alone.

The teenager was discovered and rescued from the home of the rapist on Tuesday. Upon her return home on Thursday night she requested and was granted a wish of a thanksgiving feast with her friends and family. They expressed gratitude to have located the teenager and were thankful to everyone who assisted in the search.

Schroeder made a nine hour drive to the 15-year-old’s home in Brooklyn. Once he had her in his vehicle he reportedly made her remove her phone’s battery and sim card before destroying the phone itself. The 41-year-old man even went so far as to then throw the pieces of the phone into the river.

FBI Special Agent John Mark Burbridge filed an affidavit with the courts that outlined the activities that were forced upon the teenager during the time she was missing. The teenager said she had stressed to Schroeder that she was only 15 when he told her he intended to have sex with her, but upon arrival to his Marthasville, Missouri home she reported that her age was not a deterrent to the older man and he immediately raped her. After the initial rape, the young girl was then made to clean Chris Schroeder’s home and he laid out certain conditions for her to live by.

The affidavit states that when the teenager was missing she was not allowed to use the telephone or the Internet unless she was given permission and she was not to give her real name to anyone she met. The affidavit also states that the girl’s rapist told her that her appearance needed to change; she would have to lose weight and dye her hair. Her pleas to go home were ignored and Chris Schroeder proceeded to rape the 15-year-old multiple times, using threats to keep her doing what he wanted. His home was allegedly filled with guns and she feared for her life.

Teen missing for nearly a month held captive by 41-year-old man she met online, police say https://t.co/cc0ZRbHFl4 pic.twitter.com/OaK8506Mu3

— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 3, 2015

The Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force garnered information from the internet that eventually led to the FBI and the police from Warren and St. Charles counties rescuing the girl about 4:30 p.m on Tuesday. A fake Facebook profile gave them the help hey needed. Fox 29 News reporting on the kidnapping and rape included a statement from the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI St. Louis Division, William P. Woods.

“It cannot be overstated that the Internet can be a very dangerous place, especially for children. Before the Internet, predators had to physically troll the streets looking for children not knowing much about the child. Now they have access to children anywhere in the country or the world and target those who may be especially vulnerable just by reading what’s posted on social media.”

The affidavit also states that Chris Schroeder is claiming that he thought the girl was 18-years-old and that he did not transport the teen to his home. A search of the Missouri home where the kidnapped teen was raped revealed video cameras in the bedroom and at least one of the many videos present showed the older man having sex with the teenager.

On Wednesday, Chris Schroeder made his initial appearance in federal court. He is being charged with transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity, second-degree statutory rape and production of child pornography.

Since the 15-year-old teenager is a victim of sexual assault while she was missing she has not been identified in the report.

[Photo via St. Charles County Police Department]