A 47-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., man has been indicted on federal charges for kidnapping a child from her home in Reading, Pa.
Duane Taylor made an initial appearance in federal court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Sept. 22 on the charges, a news release said. Taylor faces a possible maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
“On Aug. 31, millions of people received notification of an Amber Alert for a missing child from Reading, Pa. Thanks to the hard work of investigators in Pennsylvania and New York City, the alleged kidnapper was swiftly tracked down and the child was found and reunited with her mother,” U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero, said in the release.
Taylor allegedly took the child from the home of his former girlfriend the morning of Aug. 31. The child’s mother reported the child missing from her bedroom to Reading police after the mother last saw the girl at approximately 10:30 p.m. the night before, according to the release.
“Investigators reviewed video surveillance footage from the home’s security system, which showed a person entering the living room area at approximately 2 a.m., and proceeding to the stairs leading to the second floor,” the release said. “A short time later, the victim is seen walking down those stairs and through the living room, followed by the person who was later identified as the defendant.”
New York City Police traced Taylor to Brooklyn, but didn’t find the child there, the release reported. The child was located later that day when someone called 911 to report a child alone who was asking for help.
Jacqueline Maguire, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, said anyone who would harm a child by kidnapping “is simply depraved and must be held accountable,” according to the release.
“Imagine one morning finding your home’s door broken open and your child’s bed empty,” Maguire said in the release. “It’s a parent’s worst nightmare come true. We’re so thankful that this young victim was recovered safely and for the great collaboration by law enforcement partners in locating and arresting her alleged abductor.”
