Ex-Marine Arrested in Germany; Girl Reunited With Parents

Wednesday, July 16, 2003

LONDON � The 12-year-old girl who ran away with a former U.S. Marine she met on the Internet was reunited with her parents on Wednesday, police said shortly after announcing that the Marine had been arrested in Germany.

Shevaun Pennington already was on her way back to Britain when Toby Studabaker , 31, was arrested in downtown Frankfurt , police said.

Police said the girl flew back to Britain from Stuttgart via Amsterdam. Officers from Greater Manchester Police met her at the airport around 2:30 p.m., an hour after Studabaker had been arrested.

She was then taken to a police station in Leigh, near her home, for a reunion with her parents, Stephen and Joanna Pennington.

Shevaun left Britain with Studabaker on Saturday, police said.

Studabaker "was arrested for abduction under the power of an international arrest warrant," police Superintendent Peter Mason told reporters.

Police sources said images of child pornography were discovered on Studabaker's computer during investigations into the missing pair. The sources also said they had evidence, again taken from Studabaker's computer, that the ex-Marine knew that Shevaun was 12, not 18 or 19, as he had claimed to relatives.

[TheSmokingGun.com Web site reported that Studabaker was arrested in 1998 for felony sexual misconduct involving two young relatives. The case was dropped due to lack of evidence, the Web site reported.]

The pair had last been traced to Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris, where they arrived on a flight Saturday.

Shevaun made two phone calls home to her parents in Lowton, northwest England, on Tuesday and earlier Wednesday, saying she was well and not being kept against her will. In the second, she told her parents she was preparing to return to Britain.

"I am not aware that she has been harmed in any away, but again we haven't had the opportunity to speak with her yet," Mason said.

Christian Brockert, a spokesman for the Federal Criminal authorities in Frankfurt, said local police arrested Studabaker Wednesday afternoon.

The ex-Marine told police upon his arrest that the girl was in an airplane on her way back to Britain.

German authorities are determining whether the man will be extradited, or whether he would be pressed on charges of child abuse there, Brockert said.

Mason said that British police were "looking at bringing him back to this country."

Earlier Wednesday, Shevaun's mother said she was "relieved" her daughter was still with Studabaker, who police say befriended the schoolgirl via the Internet.

"I'm actually quite relieved that he's still with her in a way because he's obviously helping to look after her. As long as she comes back, she can even come back with him, I'm not bothered," the mother told Sky News TV.

Mason said Shevaun believed she was in a relationship with Studabaker.

"It is a relationship that has developed over a number of months, starting off on Internet chat lines and progressing through to e-mails and personal letters."

Studabaker, of Constantine, Mich., joined the Marines in 2000 and served in an anti-terrorism unit in Afghanistan, said Sgt. Spencer Harris, a spokesman for Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He was discharged on June 30, Harris said.

What do you guys think about this mess???

chilly-mo needs a federal size beat down. if it was my daughter, i'd slice his ball park frank lengthwise with a dull razor.

it's crazy. I read about this in the paper this morning...turns out the guy is from a city close to my hometown. here's the article from the Free Press, it gives a slightly different view of the mess: www.freep.com...
personally, I think the situation is way messed up. there's no way that guy didn't suspect this girl is under 18, she looks under 18, and you'd think you'd be careful when it comes to taking minors across national borders.

MC

Im with you on this one, there's noway you can tell me that he didnt know she was alot younger than 19 yrs (thats the age papers here said, UK).

Both of their photos have been all over the news here, and she doesnt look no more than 14 at a push, theres noway she even looked remotely 19 yrs old.

My son's 14 now, and already 6 ft 2 in tall, he does look 18 / 19 yrs old, but to known in the home town to get away with anything.

Alot of kids/teenagers dont look their own age now, which sometimes can make it difficult to judge their age, but this time there's no chance he didnt know!



blackwidow

[Edited on 16-7-2003 by blackwidow666]

Not only does the adult need sorting out, but the girl's parents need to take a long, deep look at themselves too.

i saw a picture of the girl in the ny daily post
she's not all that

looks like a set up, maybe he didnt know she was 12

Guy needs to be put away. That's just plain disgusting a 12 year old!?!?!?!
What are the british laws on child endangerment and/or statuatory rape?

Originally posted by kitty
i saw a picture of the girl in the ny daily post
she's not all that

you know, I thought that too. if I was male and planning on running away with a 12-year-old, it wouldn't be her.

/catty

I would have to whole-heartedly agree with what Leveller said.

regards
seekerof

I missed this part entirely...

"I'm actually quite relieved that he's still with her in a way because he's obviously helping to look after her. As long as she comes back, she can even come back with him, I'm not bothered," the mother told Sky News TV.

I must say Leveller is 100% correct!!
These people should all be put away (except maybe the homely little girl. A lifetime of therapy may help still...)