Louisiana Man Hid in Teen Girl's Bedroom Closet for More Than a Month, Police Say
The parents of a 15-year-old girl discovered a man secretly living in their daughter's closet after hearing noises coming from the bedroom, according to police.
Detectives said Jonathan Rossmoine had been living in the storage space for more than a month before he was discovered at the family's home in Spring Hill, Hernando County, Florida.
Investigators told news channel Fox 13 Rossmoine had traveled to the county from his home in Louisiana to have sex with the teenager.
Rossmoine now faces multiple charges after being arrested on Sunday.
Detective Tom Cameron, of Hernando County Sheriff's Office, said Rossmoine had been trying to hide from the girl's parents.
He said: "He and the young lady came up with the idea that he could just stay in her room if he hid in the closet whenever the parents came in.
"They kept the bedroom door closed and locked and whenever someone came to the door it gave them an opportunity to run and hide in the closet and open up the door to where maybe she was changing or something."
According to deputies, Rossmoine and the 15-year-old first met online two years ago through a virtual reality social platform known as VRChat.
The platform enables users to create 3D avatars and interact with others.
It is alleged that Rossmoine drove from Louisiana to Spring Hill to have sex with the victim and that on August 19 he began staying in her closet.
Deputies said the man admitted to traveling from Louisiana to Florida after meeting the teen online two years ago. The teen's parents later found the man hiding in their child's closet, and the victim told police he had been living there for about a month. https://t.co/i0M1Onchag
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) September 29, 2020
Police said Rossmoine was arrested on Sunday when the teenager's parents discovered him after hearing noises coming from the girl's bedroom.
Rossmoine faces multiple counts of lewd and lascivious behavior. He remains in the Hernando County Jail and is being held on a $25,000 bond.
Child psychologist Dr. Wendy Rice told Fox 13 it is vital parents know what their children are up to online and devices should be banned from the bedroom to keep youngsters safe.
She said cases like these serve as an important reminder to parents to be aware of their child's online activity.
She said: "Kids can be doing things under our noses and in your house that you might not be aware of that could shock you.
"Get the electronics out of the bedroom. That is key. None of us really need to be sleeping with our phones next to our beds and least of all teens."
