A teenage girl from Pennsylvania who was reported missing about a year ago was found alive in the home of a 32-year-old man in North Carolina, who was arrested on various charges, including rape and kidnapping.
Authorities in High Point, roughly 70 miles west of Durham, found the 15-year-old victim on June 16 while investigating evidence that she may have been living at the suspect’s home, according to a news release from the High Point Police Department.
After an investigation in which officials spoke with the victim and conducted a search warrant at the home where police alleged child sexual abuse material was discovered, the defendant, Joseph A. Rossomando, was detained.
According to the news release, Rossomando was booked at the Guilford County Jail on charges of statutory sex offense with a child under the age of 15, statutory rape of a child under the age of 15, felony human trafficking of a child victim, felony sexual servitude of a child victim, felony second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, felony statutory rape, felony first-degree kidnapping, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The Guilford County Jail holds him without bond.
Girl reported missing from Pennsylvania in 2024
According to court documents, the girl was reported missing in Reading, Pennsylvania, in June 2024. It is unclear if the victim was related to the suspect. A representative for the High Point Police Department informed USA TODAY that public information on the case is limited owing to the nature of the offenses and the victim’s juvenile status.
An update on the teen’s condition was also unavailable. The Reading Police Department did not immediately have any additional information to give on the case.