LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — Police say a man wanted for abducting a 14-year-old in Luzerne County girl has been caught.
John Watson, 45, was arrested after U.S. Marshals found him living on a train around 9 a.m. Thursday in Cleveland, Ohio.
At a news conference, the Luzerne County district attorney, detectives, and U.S. Marshals told us he was taken into custody without incident and is locked up in Ohio until he can be brought back here.
"John Watson is wanted for statutory sexual assault, rape, and related sex charges, as well as false imprisonment and associated misdemeanors relating to a late October incident where he abducted a 14-year-old girl from Union Street in Luzerne borough, Luzerne County," said Luzerne County District Attorney Samuel Sanguedolce.
"We sent a press release out to the public requesting their assistance on approximately December 15. And I can honestly say that as a result of that press release, information came forward. And we were able to essentially identify the location of where Watson was," said U.S. Marshal Martin Pane.
Investigators say Watson kept the girl captive for three days. She was rescued from a hotel on October 25 when she was able to get access to a phone and call Plains Township police.
"Nothing from that time to this time has exceeded the severity of the crime that we saw in this incident. I should say crimes because they're repeated incidents over the course of a number of days to this unfortunate victim. So it remains one of the most horrific crimes that I have ever witnessed in my 20 years in the district attorney's office," Sanguedolce said.
U.S. Marshals say through the course of this investigation, they are also able to bring charges against Watson for manufacturing child porn, but investigators could not comment if that was the motive for this abduction.
"I can't comment on that at this time, except to say that we do have some indications that the intent was human trafficking," Pane said. "I'd like to commend everybody's efforts here. My hope is that the family has some relief, that the victim can finally get justice as this case proceeds forward, and, you know, could hopefully say that this is an early Christmas present for that family."
Watson's co-defendant in this case, William Smiley, who was arrested back in October, remains locked up in Luzerne County.
It is unclear when Watson will be brought back to face charges.