Adoptive Father Charged With Rape After Missing Tennessee Teen Was Found Safe
A Tennessee father was arrested on charges of rape after his 14-year-old stepdaughter, who vanished from her home two weeks ago, was found safe in Wisconsin.
According to reports, Savannah Lee Pruitt was found safe in a Madison home Thursday, reported WVLT-TV. While police said the girl was eating and in healthy condition, they have not yet revealed how she knew the Wisconsin home owner.
In mid-January, Savannah left home due to a family incident, investigators told reporters. Throughout her time away, her parents, Randall and Christina Pruitt, made several on-air pleas for the girl to return home.
“Please come home, we do miss you terribly,” Randall, who adopted Savannah when he married her mother, said during a news broadcast.
The same day the teen was found, Randall was arrested and charged with rape local station WKRN reported.
Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones told reporters that Pruitt’s arrest and his daughter’s disappearance are part of the same investigation, however he would not elaborate further.
“There’s a possibility of multiple charges with multiple people being involved,” Jones said. “That’s all we can say at this time.”
The girl's mother, Christina, has not been charged.