Studabaker captured on CCTV
Posted on 07/16/2003 6:54:13 AM PDT by bedolido
Shevaun Pennington, the 12-year-old schoolgirl who disappeared with a former US marine, is safe and well and back in the UK.
Ex-marine Toby Studabaker has been arrested in Frankfurt, Germany, police say.
Shevaun was found in England and is now being looked after by Greater Manchester Police.
She will be reuinted with her parents later.
Superintendant Peter Mason said Studabaker had been arrested with the support of the German authorities and the FBI.
He revealed Shevaun had made a second call to her family this morning and told them she was well and talked about returning home.
Supt. Mason said: "My first priority is to get Shevaun back to her parents.
"We haven't had the opportunity to speak to her yet. Officers will question her later."
Earlier, detectives released CCTV footage taken of 31-year-old ex-marine Studabaker at Manchester Airport.
Officers had been liaising with the FBI in the hope of finding Shevaun, who met Studabaker in Manchester on Saturday afternoon.
It has now emerged the authorities hunting Studabaker had found child pornography on a computer used by him.
Police sources also said they had evidence he knew Shevaun's real age all along, despite telling his family in the US he did not.
He told them he believed Shevaun was 19 and only found out she was much younger when they first met up.
Police searching for the pair had asked the media not to refer to these facts while the hunt continued in case it jeopardised the operation.
They also asked the media to stop referring to previous child abuse allegations faced by Studabaker.
Shevaun disappeared from her home in Wigan on Saturday and took a flight to the French capital.
A search of Shevaun's belongings and computer files exposed her links with Studabaker, who left the US military last month.
Officers alerted Interpol and an all-ports warning was issued in an attempt to stop the couple leaving the country.
Last Updated: 14:48 UK, Wednesday July 16, 2003
Studabaker captured on CCTV
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