A registered sex offender who ran off with a 14-year-old Bronx teen has been charged with rape after police found them on a subway train in Manhattan, New York Police said Sunday.
According to the New York Daily News, 35-year-old Anthony Ferdinand of Harlem was also charged with sexual abuse, criminal sex act and acting in a manner injurious to a child under 17 years of age after he was caught with the teen on a downtown Q train in Herald Square.
The girl from Wakefield ran away from home on Thursday evening after her mother confronted her after finding alleged sexually explicit texts on her iPad from Ferdinand. Police had asked the public for help in locating the 14-year-old, had posted her picture and urged anyone who saw her call to call them at 1-800-577-TIPS.
An observant rider noticed the young girl and Ferdinand on Saturday morning and alerted the conductor, who then held the train until the police arrived.
Police are still unsure as to how Ferdinand and the teenager met. Police officials are still investigating and more charges could be added at a later date.
Ferdinand is a level 2 registered sex offender. He was put on the sex offender registry after he raped a mentally disabled 19-year-old girl in February 2003, according to NBC New York.
Ferdinand was also arrested in July 2006 for forgery and other related charges. His criminal background also includes arrests for theft of service, and for failure to register as a sex offender. When he was arrested for larceny, he had been found in the company of another missing child, according to NBC New York.
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Ferdinand is expected to be arraigned on the new charges on Sunday.
His last known address was in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, according to news reports.