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Family joy as missing girl returns
LEIGH, England (CNN) -- The parents of a 12-year-old British girl missing for four days with a former U.S. Marine she met on the Internet have spoken of their relief at their daughter's safe return. Shevaun Pennington flew back to the UK on Wednesday afternoon from Germany where she had traveled with Toby Studabaker, 31, who was arrested earlier in Frankfurt by police on suspicion of child abduction. The girl's mother Joanna Pennington said she and her husband Stephen had a tearful reunion with Shevaun at Leigh police station near Wigan in northern England. "I cannot tell you how relieved I am. It is such a turnaround from the situation days ago, which seems years ago. It is absolutely fantastic," she said. Her husband said he was so glad his daughter was all right and already back with the family. Mrs. Pennington added the first thing she said to her daughter once she had been driven back to the police station from Manchester Airport, where she had been met by police officers, was to ask how she was. "I said, 'How are you' and 'give us a hug.' She gave me a hug and said she was not too bad. We will take it from there," said Mrs. Pennington. Meanwhile, a law enforcement source in Britain said authorities could prove Studabaker knew she was 12 but did not say how. That information enabled authorities to get an international arrest warrant, the source said. Studabaker had told his brother that he believed the girl, Shevaun Pennington, was 19, the brother told CNN earlier. Greater Manchester Police Superintendent Peter Mason said Shevaun had split up with Studabaker before traveling back in Britain. Studabaker did not hand himself in to authorities nor was he arrested at the airport in Frankfurt, Mason said, adding it was not clear how long he was in Germany. "Through our investigations, we found out she was coming into Manchester via plane," Mason said. "We knew beforehand she was coming back to this country."
It was too early to say whether Studabaker will be brought to Britain, but "we'll be looking at bringing him back," Mason said. He said he was not aware if Shevaun had been harmed in any way. The pair had last been traced to Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris, where they arrived on a flight Saturday. Shevaun telephoned her parents Wednesday morning, saying she was well and not being kept against her will, and was preparing to return, Mason said. The girl's family and police said the pair had conducted a year-long relationship in Internet chat rooms, and via e-mails, before Studabaker flew to Europe last weekend to meet her. Studabaker was discharged from the U.S. Marines just two weeks ago after serving for more than three years. He was a lance corporal based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The case had increased concern in Britain about so-called "grooming" by adults who contact children via the Internet.
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She gave me a hug and said she was not too bad. We will take it from there.
