Sex offender accused of 6-year-old's abduction claims innocence (Yeah Right,.. and I'm Santa Claus!)

KVOA Tucson Channel 4 News ^ | Ed Tribble

[SandRat]

A registered sex offender accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 6-year old girl, from Maricopa is behind bars.

George Horner, age 26, was taken into custody around 11:00 a.m. Saturday near the Coolidge, Arizona airport.

Investigators say the girl he allegedly kidnapped Friday was found walking on a Casa Grande road 20 miles from her home.

According to the child's mother, Horner was an acquaintance who'd been staying at their home for a few days.

He was supposed to take the little girl to school, but he and the girl disappeared.

The woman who found the girl says she had just heard the Amber Alert on the radio in her truck and she saw the little girl wondering in the middle of nowhere, and took her to safety.

"Her little lips were all wrinkled up and dry and I said 'Get in the truck. Its okay. I'm safe. I'm a mom. I live right down the road. Let me get you some water."

From there, LeeAnn Noschese says the little girl wanted to call her mom.

"Mom was hysterical on the phone and I told her who I was and I told her I found her daughter, walking down the side of the road. Out by my house she was just saying 'Are you alright? Are you alright?' You could see she was getting worked up and starting to lose it."

The girl went to the hospital, but Horner was still on the run.

The Pinal County Sheriff's Department worked into the night talking with him via cell phone.

"He basically alluded he had contact with the young lady, however he didn't make any incriminating statements. He said he did nothing inappropriate with her," Sheriff Chris Vasquez says.

They say Horner wanted to turn himself in, but was afraid law enforcement would hurt him, so he hid out in the desert in his SUV.

"He knew he was a marked man. He knew he was being hunted," Vasquez says.

Horner called detectives early Saturday morning and said he was cold, tired and hungry. They agreed to meet him out by the Coolidge Airport where he was taken into custody.

Horner told reporters as he was taken to jail, "I said I will prove my innocence and then the whole world will know"

The sheriff says there is a strong case against Horner.

"I hope when he goes to prison that he never sees or tastes freedom ever again," Vasquez says.

[SandRat]

George Horner, age 26, was taken into custody around 11:00 a.m. Saturday near the Coolidge, Arizona airport.

[TASMANIANRED]

Mom invited the predator in.

[msnimje]

Shoot him and take the child away from that mother.

What mother lets a man she does not know take her child to school IN HER PAJAMAS?

[albie]

Unfortunately, this guy will be out of prison in less than 5 years. Pedophiles, rapists all have no hope of ever being rehabilitated. Why our system continues to allow these monsters to get out of jail I'll never know.

[knarf]

You mean you're NOT Santa?

Who gave me this Reuger for Christmas then?

[SandRat]

I just wish they'd use the Lindburg Law and settle all this once and for all.

[SandRat]

Go ask your wife/husband cause if it was me you'd have got a Colt M1911A1 chambered for .45-cal ball.

[keats5]

Prosecute him for kidnapping. He'll serve more time.

[pandoraou812]

I agree. Our system lets these pervs out to repeat their crimes over and over..... I also hate the fact that we keep them in a safe protected area of the prison. I know its for general prison safety but I think it would be wonderful to let inmate justice loose on these monsters. Since their little victims weren't given mercy I think justice would be for these monsters to be victims themselves until the day they die. ~~P~~

[xarmydog]

I agree with your thinking.People get worked up over the death sentence for child weirdos,but I would die for any of my family that were to be violated,let alone murdered.As much as I like the M1911A1,my weapon of choice would be different.But, not that far off.I know the fear of being hunted as prey for a child molester,and it will never go away.I say the sooner they go to hell,the better.

[pandoraou812]

I find it odd the mother knew so little about the guy she allowed to move in with her....I don't let anyone watch my 7 year old daughter but her older brothers or very trusted close friends. I know this...were anyone to abuse my child like this I don't care what the law says I know my sons and husband would kill the guy . Jail wouldn't matter to any of them. I am so sick of hearing they can be treated. If so then why are so many repeat offenders??? I say if you can't get to them yourself then let the inmates use their form of justice. They hate sex offenders. I have a prison guard for a friend and he says that every chance the inmates get to go at theses guys they do. I would just toss the perv in general prison population and let them get him.

[festus]

"He basically alluded he had contact with the young lady, however he didn't make any incriminating statements. He said he did nothing inappropriate with her," Sheriff Chris Vasquez says.

They say Horner wanted to turn himself in, but was afraid law enforcement would hurt him, so he hid out in the desert in his SUV.

"He knew he was a marked man. He knew he was being hunted," Vasquez says.

So according to this report he admits he had contact with the missing girl but told no one. He admits he was scared of the law because of it. He says he hid in the desert and the girl was in need of water.

He needs to be tried and executed within the week.

[TBP]

Well, if you're Santa, tell me where to send my Christmas list.

I still thiknk Santa is a government agency, however. All he does is give away stuff, he exploits cheap labor, adn nobody knows where the money comes from. And he gets preferential treatment in his flight plan.

[xarmydog]

I used to hide the fact about being the object of a perverts version of eye candy.I know what it is like to be chased around by a man who weighs 300 pounds,bug eyed,bald,with a cigar in his mouth,saying things that scared me to death.Me,I was 6 years old,4 ft.tall,and weighed about 70 pounds.I have never in my life talked about it in public till now.I weigh over 200 pounds and can take care of myself very well.I used to be ashamed of it,but I am over that.The fear of that time in my life will never go away,but it has made me strong in my adult life.If I had the chance,I would kill that man,but time beat me to it.I hate abusers with a passion,and I see to it that NO member of my family is harmed in any way.Every member of my family knows that I am a phone call away.I am by no means bragging,but if you knew me,you would know I am a straight shooter.I despise child molesters with a passion,and that includes wife beaters,and any one that would cause harm to the helpless.That's my rant and I'm sticking to it.

[amchugh]

The guy was a houseguest, so presumably she knew him.

[amchugh]

We all hate them of course, but our society seems to be very intolerant of arbitrary justice. I'd favor the death penalty for child molestors over exposing them to the general population of the prison, if only to reduce the hassle for the prison guards.

As for treatment, I shared your opinion, but a bit of quick web research shows that treatment is marginally effective. Although I'm in favor of incarcerating them perputually no matter what the cost, essentially it is an argument of economics. Treatment is from 7-17 thousand dollars less expensive per year than incarceration (22 thousand), and depending on the study you believe in has an 8% reduction in the recidivism rate. One odd stat is that recidivism is much higher in cases where boys are the victims than in cases where girls are.

[pandoraou812]

I can understand. My Aunts brother in law abused me, my sister and all the little cousins in our family. Nobody ever told. We were scared too and tried to avoid him as much as possible . But we would be taken to pony rides and of course this Uncle was a fine upstanding dentist. When my sister and I were older we went to our parents and told them. Even then they called us liars. I don't know what is worse being abused or being labeled a liar. It took many years to overcome it and I don't know if I really am over it. I hate dentists. I won't leave my 7 yr old daughter with anyone except her older brothers or a close trusted friend. If a friend of my husband is too friendly to her I watch him. My oldest daughter is going on 28 and my boys are 26, 25, 24 and 20 so I always have babysitters thankfully. And no I didn't naturally have all these kids.(the looks I used to get were funny) . The 26 and 25 year old sons were taken in from abused homes. I think death is good for sex offenders but outside of the problems it would cause for guards I would like them in general prison population. I want them to feel the pain their victims feels. I don't know where this dentist is or if he is alive...its better I don't know. ~~Pandora~~

[pandoraou812]

As for treatment, I shared your opinion, but a bit of quick web research shows that treatment is marginally effective.

Marginally effective.....Is not good enough for me. But I was a victim so I look at it differently. To me it seems all the cases we hear in the news media they are repeat offenders. I did go looking after your post. I found this link which I found interesting.
http://sexcrimes.typepad.com/sex_crimes/2006/11/different_appro.html I do happen to think that we are going some what crazy when we are taking 18 yrs old who are having sex with their 15 or 16 yr old girl friends and putting them in jail. That I think isn't fair. Or the girls that lie about their age and have sex, then the parents find out and the boy goes to jail and is forever more a sex offender....While the liar girl gets no form of punishment at all. I think people need to trust their children when they say I don't like this person. You need to check out who your child's caretaker is and who she is going out with. Parents have to do these things to insure their child's safety. Times have changed and people can not just let their children play outside with nobody watching them. Most of all you need to set rules for your child...the internet is not a place a child should be on unless the computer is in an open spot and the parent is watching what the child is doing. We can make it safer but if these monsters are serial sex offenders then they can not be allowed into the general public. ~~Pandora~~

[msnimje]

The guy was a houseguest, so presumably she knew him.

Not well enough for taking her child.

[amchugh]

Considering that 45% of children are molested by family members, and 45% by family friends, neighbors or babysitters, I'm not sure that knowing people helps prevent child abuse. I regularly look up neighborhoods I'm moving into, or that my nieces/nephews live in on the Megan's law database, but that only tells me about the convicted molesters. The only thing you can do to protect children is be with them constantly, or educate them on what to do.