Elkridge Sexual Assault Suspect Still at Large

Law enforcement officials in West Virginia and with the U.S. Marshals are in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 12-year old girl in West Virginia.

Police are looking for David Maya, 24, who faces four counts of second-degree sexual assault, according to the Wheeling Police Department.

According to published accounts, Maya was playing hide-and-go-seek with a 12-year-old girl and her friends in West Virginia last weekend before he led her into the woods and sexually assaulted her, reported The Intelligencer in Wheeling, WV.

The Howard County Police Department did not have any information on the case on Thursday.

Officials in Wheeling, WV, linked Maya to the incident by his cell phone number and internet screen name, which he used when he met the girl, according to The Intelligencer. Published reports also said that both Maya and the girl did not give their correct ages during their conversations online and in text messages.

It is a violation of federal law "to use the Internet to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, or coerce a child under the age of 18 to meet for sexual acts, or to attempt to arrange such a meeting." 

Last week, an  for sexually exploiting a minor he met on Facebook.

Warning signs that a child may be involved with an online predator include the following, according to the FBI: staying online late at night, closing browser windows when parents approach and receiving phone calls or mail from places that are unfamiliar.

Law enforcement officials advise parents to speak with children about the dangers of being approached on the computer regarding sex, and to report concerns to Howard County Police Department (410-313-2022), the FBI (410-265-8080) or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (1-800-843-5678).