A Kentucky man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after he was found with a young missing Alabama girl who he met on social media.

Glendon Arnold Carpenter Jr., 44, will also remain on supervised release for life once he is released from prison, according to a Thursday statement by Middle District of Alabama Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin P. Davidson.  The sentence was handed down Wednesday.

Carpenter began communicating with a 14-year-old girl in Lee County in 2023 through an online messaging app. His profile picture appeared to be a teen boy.

After establishing a relationship with the minor, Carpenter convinced her to leave home.

In July of 2023, Carpenter traveled to Alabama to pick up the 14-year-old and take her back to Kentucky where the two engaged in sexual activity.

The victim’s parents reported her missing and law enforcement immediately began searching for her.

Agents found Carpenter and the victim in Kentucky within two days at a fast-food restaurant.

A federal grand jury indicted Carpenter for unlawfully transporting a minor across state lines in August of 2023. On February 12, 2024, Carpenter pleaded guilty to the charge.

The FBI Mobile Field Office and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Richmond, Kentucky Police Department, and the FBI Louisville Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara S. Ratz prosecuted the case.