Nelson S.T. Thayer Jr. Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania | Penn Carey Law School
United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Duane Taylor, a 50-year-old resident of Brooklyn, New York, has pleaded guilty to charges related to the kidnapping of a minor from Reading, Pennsylvania. The plea was entered before United States District Court Judge John M. Gallagher.
Taylor faced multiple charges in January 2023 following a superseding indictment. These included kidnapping, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, production and possession of child pornography, and transportation of child pornography. He admitted guilt on all counts.
Court documents reveal that on August 31, 2022, police in Reading responded to a report from the child's mother about her missing daughter. The mother last saw her daughter at around 10:30 p.m. the previous night. A search revealed the back door open and its chain lock broken.
Security footage from the home showed an individual entering the living room at approximately 2 a.m., then proceeding upstairs. Shortly after, the victim was seen descending the stairs followed by Taylor, who was identified as her mother's former boyfriend.
The New York City Police Department assisted Reading investigators in tracing Taylor to his Brooklyn residence; however, they did not find the victim there initially. She was later found when a citizen reported seeing a child alone asking for help after being kidnapped from Pennsylvania.
Taylor is set for sentencing on September 18 and could face life imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse since May 2006. The project coordinates efforts among federal, state, and local resources to apprehend offenders and rescue victims.
The investigation involved collaboration between the FBI, Reading Police Department, and New York City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalynda M. Michetti and Josh A. Davison are prosecuting the case.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
