LAKE COUNTY, Ind. — A U.S. Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune has been arrested after allegedly traveling from North Carolina to Indiana to kidnap and sexually assault a 12-year-old girl he met on social media.
According to the Department of Justice and the FBI, 24-year-old Lance Corporal William Richard Roy was taken into custody on October 26 in Durham, North Carolina. The arrest came after a multi-state investigation involving the FBI’s Indianapolis, Charlotte, and Chicago field offices, as well as the U.S. Marshals Service and the Hammond Police Department.
Roy, whose listed address is Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, now faces federal charges including:
- Enticement of a Minor to Travel for Illicit Sexual Activity
- Transportation of a Minor to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity
- Interstate Travel with Intent to Engage in a Sexual Act with a Minor
Authorities say the investigation began on October 25, when the Hammond Police Department notified the FBI that a 12-year-old girl had gone missing from her Lake County home. The child’s grandmother reported her missing earlier that day.
Investigators say Roy had been communicating with the girl through TikTok, where they allegedly met. According to FBI reports, Roy flew from North Carolina to Chicago on October 24, then took an Uber to Hammond the following day to meet the girl in a park.
The pair allegedly traveled back to a Chicago-area hotel, where they stayed overnight. The next morning, Roy and the girl reportedly boarded a Greyhound bus bound for North Carolina.
When the bus arrived in Durham on October 26, agents from the FBI’s Greensboro office and local law enforcement arrested Roy and safely recovered the child.
As of this week, the FBI confirmed the investigation remains ongoing between multiple field offices. The U.S. Marine Corps has not yet issued a public statement regarding Roy’s arrest or his current duty status.
Public records show Roy was listed as an active-duty Marine at the time of his arrest. Attempts by news outlets to reach him or his representatives for comment were unsuccessful.
The FBI urged anyone who suspects online exploitation of a minor to contact their local field office or submit a tip through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov).
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