An underage girl from Missouri has been rescued after being allegedly involved in child sex crimes with a Georgia man. Carlan Travis Penney Jr., 46, was charged on March 7 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis with coercion and enticement of a minor and transporting a minor across state lines for illegal sexual activity. He was arrested the following day in Georgia and later indicted by a grand jury.
According to charging documents, the girl's family reported her missing to the local sheriff's office, which then contacted the FBI. Investigators discovered that she had been communicating with Penney, who rented a car to travel to her home in Missouri and take her back to Georgia. The documents allege that upon arriving in Missouri, Penney wore a mask and mentioned having a firearm if she turned out to be law enforcement. After damaging her phone and another device, he took her to Georgia using cash transactions while wearing gloves during stops.
The victim was located at a residence belonging to Penney’s family, as per the documents. She informed the FBI that they met through a "chat site," where Penney directed their conversation towards sexual topics and sent explicit images.
It is important to note that charges listed in an indictment are accusations only; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
"The victim was rescued quickly because of partnerships," said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. "After the FBI became aware, the minor was found in 24 hours hundreds of miles from her home." Johnson expressed gratitude for all agencies involved, especially highlighting Worth County and Crisp County Sheriff’s Offices for safely recovering the girl after an hour-long standoff.
The investigation included contributions from multiple law enforcement bodies: the FBI’s St. Louis Division, FBI Atlanta’s Albany Resident Agency, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Worth County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office, and Crisp County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is handling prosecution duties.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006—to address child sexual exploitation and abuse more effectively by leveraging federal, state, and local resources against internet-based exploitation while identifying victims for rescue efforts.