Charges filed against Utah man who allegedly messaged missing 15-year-old before her disappearance
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — As police continue to search for , 15, a third man has been charged in connection with her disappearance, as he allegedly messaged her online before she went missing.
Samuel Mitchell, 41, of Herriman, Utah, was charged in Salt Lake County with five counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, a Second-Degree felony, and one count of enticement of a minor, a Class A misdemeanor.
Mitchell was previously when police obtained a search warrant for his phone, and he was .
PREVIOUSLY: Florida suspect in missing teen's disappearance self-surrenders, police arrest additional suspect
According to charging documents, Mitchell was communicating with Alisa through online messaging app Discord. She reportedly told Mitchell that she was a minor, and their conversations were sexual in nature.
Mitchell reportedly was planning to meet up with Alisa, but he cancelled due to illness.
In addition to Alisa, Mitchell was allegedly communicating with another 15-year-old girl living in Utah.
Police also reported that he had multiple files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in his possession, including photos and videos of the other 15-year-old girl and another 12-year-old girl.
Utah prosecutors have requested that no bail warrant be issued for Mitchell, alleging that Mitchell would be 'a substantial danger to other people in the community,' including his victims and other minor children.
PREVIOUSLY: Utah man, 41, messaged missing 15-year-old girl days before she disappeared: Documents
have also been charged in connection with her disappearance. , 35, of Miami, Florida is facing six charges, including aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor, and criminal solicitation. He was Wednesday May 28 after he self-surrendered.
William Glines, 37, of Texas City, Texas is , including attempted aggravated exploitation of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor, and criminal solicitation. As of writing, he has not been arrested.
Menard and Glines are both accused of communicating with Alisa through social media and encouraging her to send inappropriate photos and videos.
Even after learning that the girl was underage, both men allegedly continued with the sexual conversations and asked the victim to send them inappropriate photos and videos. Utah prosecutors have requested that no bail arrest warrants be issued for both suspects.
PREVIOUSLY: Men from Texas, Florida charged in connection to disappearance of 15-year-old Utah girl
On , South Jordan Police stated that it will continue its efforts to locate Alisa and follow other leads.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Alisa Petrov has been asked to call 801-840-4000 and reference South Jordan Case #SJ25-11568.
Alisa Petrov, 15, was dropped off at school in American Fork, Utah, on April 21. Instead of going to school, family members said the teenager boarded a train toward Provo, Utah. Family members said nearby security footage shows the teenager walking away, and she hasn't been found since.
She is said to be about 5'3″ tall and weigh about 122 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. She is listed as a runaway juvenile and is said to be endangered. According to the , Alisa was last seen wearing a grey Harvard University shirt, a black hoodie, baggy jeans, and a dark backpack.
PREVIOUSLY: 'We love her a lot': Father of missing Utah girl speaks after 2 out-of-state men charged in connection to her disappearance
It was later reported that she may have been trying to get to Las Vegas, and another tip revealed that she may have been communicating with a man in Texas. Officials in Texas City posted on social media on May 9 to ask for the public's help in the search for Alisa.
As of May 16, Alisa's family was reporting that she still has not been found.
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Charges filed against Utah man who allegedly messaged missing 15-year-old before her disappearance
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