Wisconsin man charged with sexual assault of teenage girl from Joplin

Do you know where your children are?

14-year-old Leora Hardee of Joplin was missing for 46 days and the subject of an intense police and F.B.I. search until she walked into a Wisconsin Police Station and turned herself in.

Now, a Wisconsin man faces charges in connection with the case.

News reports out of that state say a 19-year-old man from Oconomowoc, Wisc.has been charged with repeated sexual assault of a child in connection with the disappearance of a 14-year-old girl from Joplin.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Nathan B. Nehs sexually assaulted the girl over 20 times and kept her in a closet for two weeks.

Nehs’ parents, who live in the home, found the girl and reported the incident to police.

Nehs met the girl from Joplin, three years ago via an online gaming platform when she was only 11 years old.

The Journal-Sentinel story says says he drove to Joplin to pick her up in mid-September and threw her cell phone in a sewer so she couldn’t be located.

He faces up to 40 years in prison and up to $100,000 in fines.

Neh is currently being held at the Waukesha County jail, awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled for Monday