Sadiq Rauf Perry was charged on April 30, according to an announcement Friday by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Lafayette. The case began when the girl's mother discovered her daughter engaged in inappropriate online communications with someone claiming to be 18 years old. After confiscating her daughter's phone and grounding her, the mother later discovered the girl had disappeared from home.
Investigation by law enforcement revealed that a rideshare service transported the girl to the airport, where she boarded a flight to Norfolk, Virginia. Perry paid for both the rideshare service and the flight. He also provided a fictitious birthdate to allow the minor to board the aircraft unaccompanied, falsely claiming she was old enough to travel alone.
Video surveillance obtained by authorities showed the girl arriving in Virginia, where Perry picked her up in a vehicle registered to him. Law enforcement agents tracked Perry to a hotel where they discovered him and the minor girl sharing a room with one bed. The girl later disclosed to investigators that she and Perry had engaged in sexual intercourse at the location.
The investigation involves multiple agencies working in coordination. The FBI's New Orleans and Norfolk field offices, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Virginia Beach Police Department are all involved in the case.
