Milwaukee girl abducted, family finding path forward
Milwaukee girl abducted, family finding path forward
A Virginia man is in custody, charged in connection to the 2022 abduction of a Milwaukee girl. The victim's family is now finding a path forward.
MILWAUKEE - A Virginia man is in custody, charged in connection to the 2022 abduction of a Milwaukee girl. The victim's family is now finding a path forward.
Criminal charges
The backstory:
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office charged 37-year-old Owen Anderson of Virginia with kidnapping, child enticement and abduction of a child.
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FOX6 News called the law firm that represents Anderson. They said they had "no comment" regarding the case.
Milwaukee girl abducted in 2022, Virginia man charged
A Virginia man is accused of abducting a Milwaukee girl, holding her against her will and abusing her for years, according to new court filings.
The victim was 15 years old when prosecutors said Anderson convinced her to leave her home in Milwaukee's Brewers Hill neighborhood and run away in 2022. He is accused of arranging a ride to get her to Chicago and then dumping her cellphone and taking her out of state.
Over the roughly four years she was missing, investigators said Anderson physically and sexually abused the girl and refused to let her attend school. The victim was found after out-of-state officers responded to a domestic dispute.
Help for victims
What they're saying:
As the victim's family awaits justice in court, the priority is getting the victim the resources she needs and deserves. Victim advocates said, in these situations, post-traumatic stress disorder is common.
"Everything she thought life was supposed to be changed, and it changed because she, like a lot of young people, did something she thought was completely harmless: talking to somebody online," said Dr. Debbie Lassiter, Convergence Resource Center CEO and founder. "(It) is dangerous because you really don’t know who is on the other end of that conversation."
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What you can do:
Convergence Resource Center is a nonprofit that helps women rebuild after trauma, especially human trafficking survivors. Call 414-231-3058 or visit the organization's website for resources.
SOLACE Sexual Assault Services also has resources and a 24-hour hotline: 800-721-7273.
Editor's note: While FOX6 News will name missing persons in an effort to help the public find them, once a missing person has been identified as a crime victim, we will no longer use their name to protect their privacy.
The Source: Information in this story is from FOX6 News interviews, Convergence Resource Center, the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, Wisconsin Circuit Court records and Western Virginia Regional Jail.