Former head accused of kidnapping schoolgirl
A former Baptist school headmaster who allegedly kidnapped an 11-year-old girl faces abduction and sexual abuse charges following his arrest in Las Vegas.
William Beith, 28, is accused of running off with the girl last week, taking her halfway across the US before police stopped the two as they drove down a highway.
Beith was arrested on federal charges of coercing and enticing a minor into sexual acts and transporting a minor across state lines for sexual purposes.
He also faces state charges of kidnap, sexual assault of a minor under 14 and lewdness with a minor under 14, said Grant Ashley, FBI agent in charge of the Las Vegas office.
Beith faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted on the federal charges.
The girl, from Gary, Indiana, had been reported missing on May 1 after an argument with her parent. Her parents believe she might have telephoned Beith, former school head.
Las Vegas police Lieutenant Tom Monahan said the state sex-related charges were added after the girl underwent a medical examination. ‘‘Our fears were confirmed,’’ he said.
Investigators believe the pair spent at least one night in Las Vegas and that the girl was molested while there, he said.
The girl’s parents anxiously awaited her arrival in Indiana.
‘‘We’re having a party! Everyone’s invited,’’ her father said after the FBI called to tell him that the girl had been found.
The Baptist school recently sent a letter to parents saying Beith was no longer employed at the school.
He was charged in 1990 with contributing to the delinquency of a minor after being caught partially undressed with a 15-year-old girl.
He became headmaster of the school in 1998 when his father resigned after being arrested for allegedly soliciting a male undercover police officer for oral sex.
Charges against both Beith and his father were dismissed after they underwent counselling.
