Man arrested with 13-year-old runaway is charged with federal sex crime
A man arrested at a Jackson County truck stop with a runaway 13-year-old girl has been charged with a federal sex crime.
Dominic Keith Pearson, 25, is charged in federal court with attempting to entice a minor for sex.
The girl was reported missing on Jan. 8 from her home in Springfield, according to court documents.
Investigators then found sexually explicit cellphone messages between the girl and Pearson, who indicated he was traveling to meet her, according to the documents.
On Tuesday, Pearson and the girl were found at a truck stop along Interstate 70 near Oak Grove.
The girl told officers that she and Pearson had been communicating online for about two months. She said that after he picked her up, he bought her food and clothing and they had sex, according to the documents.
Tony Rizzo: 816-234-4435, @trizzkc
This story was originally published January 13, 2017 at 8:12 AM with the headline "Man arrested with 13-year-old runaway is charged with federal sex crime."