A man accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl multiple times almost got away, but he was arrested at an airport just before his flight left the United States.
Abdulwahab Kherow Haji-Eda, 26, of Hebron, reportedly engaged in unlawful sexual activity with the minor over the course of eight months, according to a press release from the Boone County Sheriff’s Department. The victim reported Haji-Eda communicated with her through texts, where he discussed various sexual acts that had occurred or that he wished to perform on her.
Detectives obtained a warrant for Haji-Eda’s arrest on July 27, and contacted the U.S. Marshals Service for assistance apprehending him. Marshals quickly discovered that he had bought a plane ticket that was leaving the United States that same day. His plane departed from Columbus, Ohio, with a final destination in Togo, West Africa.
Thanks to a layover at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested Haji-Eda at an Ethiopian Airlines gate just before its scheduled departure to Togo.
The man is charged with two counts of rape in the third degree, one count of sodomy in the third degree, and one count of procuring or promoting the use of a minor by electronic means. Haji-Eda is currently lodged at the Louden County Adult Detention Center in Virginia, where he awaits extradition. His bond is set at $250,000 cash.