Ohio Man, 43, Arrested After Allegedly Sexually Assaulting 15-Year-Old Girl He Met On Facebook

LANCASTER (CBSLA.com) — A man from Ohio is accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl he met on Facebook.

The girl was reported missing Sunday after she allegedly ran away. She went to meet up with 43-year-old Michael Sheetz, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's detectives.

On Monday, detectives located and detained Sheetz, who told them he was from Westerville, Ohio, and had just been with the victim.

The teenager was found lying on the ground in a desert field east of 15th Street West.

Sheetz and the girl had started a relationship on Facebook approximately six months ago, detectives said.

The victim told detectives she had been sexually assaulted by the suspect, who had arrived in California on Sunday.

After being taken to a local hospital, the girl was reportedly in good condition.

"It was apparent that the suspect's sole reason for traveling to California was to engage in sexual intercourse with the victim. Detectives determined that the suspect knew the victim's age before he traveled to California, but it was not a deterrent," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Special Victims Bureau said in a statement.

The suspect, who has five felony counts against him, is being held on $1.25 million bail.