(This originally appeared on WYFF4.com)
Updated: 2:06 PM EST Feb 1, 2023
Author: Stephanie Moore, WYFF4 Digital Media Manager
An Easley man is in jail accused of luring a teenager away from home by using sex and illicit drugs as a decoy, according to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office.
Jeremy David Barnes, 35, is charged with kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Barnes was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center around 5:30 p.m. on Monday.
Investigators said the charges against Barnes stemmed from an investigation into a missing teenager who left home with Barnes earlier this week.
More news:
According to warrants obtained by an investigator with the Criminal Investigations Bureau, Barnes lured the teenager away from home by using sex and illicit drugs as a decoy.
The arrest warrants also state that Barnes caused the minor to leave home on other occasions between July of last year and the end of January of this year without cause or consent.
The teenager was found this week and is safe, according to investigators.