Missing Louisiana Teen Found Alive in Pennsylvania Basement After Online Encounter

A 13-year-old girl from Louisiana who vanished after meeting a man on social media has been found alive several states away, hidden inside a box in a Pennsylvania home.

Authorities confirmed that the teenager, who went missing from Baker, Louisiana, around October 20, was rescued from the basement of a house in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Park neighborhood. Police said there was evidence she had been sexually assaulted.

The suspect, 26-year-old Ki-Shawn Crumity, was arrested and charged with multiple offenses including human trafficking, sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, and corruption of a child.

Louisiana’s Attorney General, Liz Murrill, described the incident as a tragic reminder of how predators exploit social media to target vulnerable children.

“This child was groomed, exploited, and then sexually abused by strangers who found her online,” Murrill said. “It’s a painful example of the dangers young people face on the internet.”

According to a police report, Crumity met the girl on Snapchat, convincing her that he could help her find a new family through adoption. The teen reportedly took a Greyhound bus from Louisiana to Pittsburgh to meet him.

Once there, Crumity allegedly gave her drug-laced edibles and sexually assaulted her repeatedly for about a week. She told investigators that she was found trapped in a box covered with a bedsheet when police stormed the basement.

The victim has since been taken to a hospital for treatment and support.

Authorities said two other men, Ronald Smith, 62, and Alvin Hanson, 64 — have also been arrested in connection with the case. Smith, who was picked up in Columbus, Georgia, faces charges of simple kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, while Hanson was arrested in New Orleans on similar charges.

Investigators believe more arrests could follow as the multi-state probe continues.

Crumity remains in jail in Pittsburgh after being denied bail.