Tennessee teen found alive in Louisiana woods after being abandoned by man she met online gaming

There, the two allegedly had some form of sexual relations before the teen revealed her age to Materne, who then provided the girl with a tent, food and water before leaving her in Tangipahoa Parish, according to a statement from the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office. He then fled the scene and drove to Jennings to spend Christmas with family members, the Daily Mail reported.

The girl’s family had no idea where their daughter had gone and frantically looked for clues, before discovering her online relationship with Materne. “The real break in the case, however, came when the girl's parents did their own investigation and tracked Materne to Jennings, Louisiana where his family lived,” Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Gerald Sticker said, adding that he was impressed with the family’s detective skills.

“They were the key to all of this,” Sticker said. “I'm telling you if they want a job, I'll hire both of these parents as investigators.” Jennings Police were first apprised of the girl’s disappearance when Chief Danny Semmes was informed via a telephone call that Materne might have taken the girl to Jennings. But when police visited the home, they were told that he had moved out.

Materne eventually agreed to speak to police when they discovered he had returned to his family home for Christmas. The man led police to a wooded area where he had left the girl unattended. She had apparently been camping out in the area for two days.

“You can't make this stuff up. It's a Christmas miracle that she was found safe. This thing could've ended badly,” Sticker said, according to the Mail. After a trip to the hospital for a medical assessment, the girl was taken back to her family.