San Diego

Man Accused of Crossing State Lines to Have Sex With Teen Boy in San Diego

The minor child was taken into protective custody and has since been reunited with family members

A 49-year-old Kentucky man was arrested in Arizona on Sunday for engaging in sexual acts with a teenage boy while in San Diego over the New Year's Eve holiday, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Carlie Joe Bentley is being charged with traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct after a 14-year-old boy told his family he was running away with the man, according to a complaint filed in San Diego. 

Bentley met the teenager through a dating app and arranged their travel to San Diego, where he rented a hotel for two days and engaged in sex acts with the child, the complaint said. 

The boy returned home and told others of their encounters, stating he and Bentley had recorded the interactions, according to the FBI agent who was investigating the case.

Two weeks later, the boy left a note to his family explaining that he was running away from home to be with a 49-year-old man, according to the complaint. 

The family immediately contacted law enforcement who traced the pair to Arizona. That's where local law enforcement pulled Bentley over in a rental car.

Local law enforcement told the FBI when Bentley exited the vehicle, his pants were unbuttoned and unzipped. 

When officers took Bentley into custody, he admitted to traveling to San Diego to meet with the 14-year-old boy at a San Diego motel, according to the complaint. 

The minor child was taken into protective custody and has since been reunited with family members, the FBI said.

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