NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A Newport News man faces both misdemeanor and federal charges after he allegedly traveled hundreds of miles to Georgia to meet and bring a 14-year-old to his apartment.
Ramon Tharpe, 38, is in custody after police officers found the missing teenager after her grandmother reported her missing to authorities in Dunwoody, GA.
According to officials with the Atlanta office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tharpe’s arrest is considered part of a larger “Operation Cross Country” campaign which aimed to crack down on alleged child predatory behavior.
Court documents reveal the two began talking on a free chat room app called “Chatib”, and that the teen may have been “in the care of Mr. Tharpe” as early as July 7.
According to Sgt. Michael Cheek of the Dunwoody Police Department, federal agents assisted both Dunwoody Police and Newport News Police Department officers in finding the missing teen. The teen had been found within hours after they first responded to the grandmother’s house.
“Initially this came out as a runaway juvenile. I do believe based on what I know, this probably would have qualified for an Amber Alert because of the element of danger,” Sgt. Cheek said.
Authorities found the girl before they needed to issue an alert, and a cell phone and laptop belonging to Tharpe were recovered from the property.
City officials in Newport News confirmed he is an employee of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, and is now on unpaid administrative leave.
Tharpe faces a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in Virginia, and will also be extradited back to Georgia where he faces a felony charge of interstate interference with custody of a minor.
“These are two separate jurisdictions, so double jeopardy doesn’t apply here,” Sgt. Cheek said.
The FBI Norfolk field office announced this week hundreds of suspects across the country were arrested as part of the “Operation Cross Country” initiative, including several in Virginia Beach with the help of local law enforcement agencies.
Tharpe declined an interview request by 13News Now Friday afternoon.