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Chelsea King (PICTURES): Who is John Albert Gardner III?

(Personal Photo)
(San Diego County Sheriff's Dept.)
(Personal Photo)
SAN DIEGO (CBS/AP) Police are determining whether to charge registered sex offender John Albert Gardner III in the disappearance of Chelsea King.

Photo: Chelsea King.

PICTURES: Chelsea King Missing
PICTURES: Chelsea King Vigil, Family Mourns

King, a 17-year-old high school student, vanished on Thursday after going for a run near Lake Hodges at Rancho Bernardo Community Park in San Diego, a popular park full of running trails.

Gardner remains in custody without bail after his arrest on Sunday and although no criminal charges have been filed, he is no stranger to the law.

Photo: John Albert Gardner III.

PICTURES: Chelsea King Missing
PICTURES: Chelsea King Vigil, Family Mourns

The 30-year-old from Lake Elsinore, Calif. pleaded guilty in May 2000 to molesting a 13-year-old female neighbor and was sentenced to six years in prison. Prosecutors say he lured the victim to his home with an offer to watch "Patch Adams," a 1998 movie starring Robin Williams.

Sheriff Bill Gore told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday that the questioning of Gardner hadn't produced any leads.

Photo: Chelsea King.

PICTURES: Chelsea King Missing
PICTURES: Chelsea King Vigil, Family Mourns

Sheriff's spokeswoman Jan Caldwell declined to say if searches of Gardner's home and his mother's San Diego home yielded evidence.

Chelsea's father, Brent King, pleaded for anyone with information about Gardner to come forward.

"Anybody who knows anything about the person they have in custody -- whatever you want to call him, I can't even put a word to it -- please let us know," he said.

Investigators suspect Gardner could be tied to a Dec. 27 assault on a female jogger from Colorado who fended off her attacker in the same park.

Steve Walker, a spokesman for the San Diego County district attorney's office, said a decision would be made by Wednesday about filing charges.

MEDIA
PICTURES: Chelsea King Missing
PICTURES: Chelsea King Vigil, Family Mourns

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