FBI Busts Tennessee Man in Multi-State Child Kidnapping Case, Rescues Missing Ohio Teen

March 18, 2026
FBI Busts Tennessee Man in Multi-State Child Kidnapping Case, Rescues Missing Ohio Teen
  • A Tennessee man named Negron was arrested in Jacksonville on pending charges related to allegedly kidnapping and transporting a minor for sexual activity.

  • The operation drew rapid cross-agency collaboration, with FBI field offices in Cincinnati, Nashville, and Jacksonville, plus the Hostage Rescue Team, and was praised by FBI Director for likely saving the girl’s life.

  • This is the second successful takedown of an alleged child sexual abuser in one week by FBI field offices, following another case involving a 13-year-old and a 7-month-old in Buffalo and Charlotte.

  • A 16-year-old girl from Colerain Township, Ohio, who had been missing for about a month, was found safe in a hotel room near Jacksonville, Florida, after a multi-state investigation.

  • Investigators linked Negron to a separate 2024 case involving a 17-year-old girl in Texas and noted prior barricade incidents and other criminal history.

  • Federal authorities are considering federal charges related to transporting a minor for sexual activity, with coordination among FBI field offices, local police, and the Hostage Rescue Team.

  • The recovery location was Palatka, Florida; investigators traced Negron’s vehicle from a Florida search warrant at his Tennessee home, after learning he had fled.

Summary based on 1 source


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