FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) -- Fairfax County Police say the relationship between a 30-year-old Army specialist and a 14-year-old Chesterfield girl started online.
On July 26 Matthew McKendrick was arrested and charged with having sex with the teen and then putting pictures of the act on the internet. He has also been charged in Chesterfield County for statutory rape and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Chesterfield police sources said that McKendrick made the trip south several times, picking up the teenager in Chesterfield and then heading north again to his Fairfax County home where they would have sex.
During one of the teen’s visits north to McKendrick's Alexandria apartment, the teenager was reported to Chesterfield police by her parents as a runaway.
Chesterfield began working with Fairfax authorities to locate the missing girl and their investigation led them McKendrick's home more than a hundred miles from Chesterfield, where police say they safety recovered the teenager.
The US Army said they are also cooperating with the investigation. McKendrick was a member of a prestigious infantry regiment called the Old Guard. It serves as the official honor guard of the US Army.
McKendrick is currently in custody in Fairfax County and has been denied bond.
Law enforcement officials said it is vital for parents to monitor their children's internet activities, specifically social media. Officials said even a juvenile's profile picture can make them a target.
For that reason, officials said setting guidelines for online usage and discussing those rules should be a key part of a parent-child relationship.
Stay with CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for updates on this developing story.
