Missing PA Girl, 13, Found In Tiverton Home

TIVERTON, RI — A 19-year-old Tiverton man is facing charges of child molestation after a missing Pennsylvania teen was found inside his house, according to police. William Caldwel Stewart was arrested July 7.

Tiverton police said they were alerted by Pennsylvania State Police that a missing 13-year-old girl, possibly a runaway, was believed to be in Tiverton. At the time, the girl had been missing for about a week, and that her phone had been turned off, then suddenly turned back on. A friend of the girl also showed police a photo from Snapchat that appeared to have been taken on High Hill Road in Tiverton. The friend told police in Pennsylvania that the girl was being held against her will.

Tiverton police found the girl in the basement of Stewart's house the day of his arrest. While there were other people at the house, no one was aware of her actually age, police said, since both she and Stewart lied about how old she was. After police spoke with the girl, Stewart was arrested.

According to police, Stewart met the girl online, and drove to Pennsylvania to pick her up about a week before she was found. The pair is believed to have arrived in Tiverton around July 4, after making several stops on the way to Rhode Island.

At this time, it's unclear if the girl was being held against her will, police said. The Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families took custody of her.

Stewart was arraigned in Second Division District Court on July 8th and was ordered held without bail.