BOISE — An Oregon man was brought to Boise to face charges late Wednesday after being accused of kidnapping an Eagle girl who police said he met through an online app.
Andy Alan Vogt, 48, is charged with felony kidnapping and lewd conduct with a child under 16 after authorities said Grant County sheriff's deputies found a teen girl in his Mount Vernon home in late October. Mount Vernon is just west of John Day.
Vogt was transferred from Grant County, and is now being held on $1 million bond in the Ada County Jail.
"Vogt was arrested in Grant County, appeared there and faced some original charges there," Eagle Police Chief Patrick Calley said. "Between the counties and states we developed where the best charges would be to avoid double jeopardy. So, Ada County is going to charge those here so, he'll likely face penalties here locally."
Ada County sheriff's officials said Vogt has been in custody since October 29, which was shortly after Grant County deputies, acting on a tip from Eagle police, went to Vogt's home and found the girl there. She had been reported missing as a runaway three days before.
The 15-year-old girl was last seen by her family on the evening of October 26 - and that's when authorities said evidence indicates Vogt forced her to leave Eagle with him.
The criminal complaint filed against Vogt says he did that for the purpose of “committing any lewd and lascivious act upon any child under the age of 16."
The girl's family reported her missing early on October 27.
Investigators believe the girl met Vogt through the MeetMe app earlier in the fall and then drove to Eagle in late October and had illegal sexual contact with her.
Eagle police and Ada County sheriff's detectives tracked the girl to Grant County and asked deputies there for help. Shortly thereafter, deputies found the girl and arrested Vogt - who initially told investigators she was 19 years old.
"She was recovered and rescued out of Oregon and reunited with her family," Calley said.
Law enforcement is now urging parents to be extra cautious when it comes to their kids using social media apps.
"Anything that allows a conversation hidden from others to go between two people, if you're a parent, we need you to be paying attention to what your children are doing with that app," Calley said. "If you look at the virtual world, the pathways of these apps, those are scary, dark alleyways. We gotta keep our children out of those alleyways."
The crimes of kidnapping and lewd conduct are both punishable by up to life in prison.
Vogt made his initial court appearance Thursday afternoon.