How Texas Police Rescued Kidnapped 12-Year-Old Girl from Accused Serial Sexual Predator

Texas police provided new details Thursday on the arrest of a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl last weekend.

Galveston Police Chief Doug Balli said the incident began Jan. 30, when the girl was walking her dog in her neighborhood, KHOU-TV reports. Investigators allege the suspect, Graham Michael Dunn, approached the child in a vehicle, exited, forced her inside and drove away.

After the girl was reported missing, officers used an emergency phone ping to locate her roughly 5 miles from where she was taken.

An officer responded to a nearby hotel and requested access to surveillance video. Although hotel staff initially could not retrieve the footage, police said the officer persisted and eventually obtained it, revealing Dunn and the victim entering the hotel.

Officers forced entry into Dunn’s hotel room, took him into custody and safely rescued the girl, Balli said. Dunn faces charges of aggravated kidnapping and two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Det. Hector Dominguez said law enforcement agencies in multiple states — including Texas, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Kentucky and Louisiana — contacted Galveston police following Dunn’s arrest to share information from prior investigations involving alleged sexual offenses. Dominguez said investigators believe Dunn fled several states to avoid prosecution and described him as a suspected serial sexual predator involving both adult and juvenile victims.

Galveston County District Attorney Kenneth Cusick said prosecutors are seeking no bond on all charges. Dunn is currently held on a $500,000 bond for the aggravated kidnapping charge and is being held without bond on the aggravated sexual assault of a child charges.