Repeat sex offender tries to kidnap 14-year-old girl after she exits school bus, Cumberland County deputies say
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A repeat sex offender was arrested for trying to kidnap a teenage girl in Fayetteville on Tuesday
Cumberland County Sheriff's Office arrested Nathan Lynn Cooley, 34, on charges of attempted second-degree kidnapping for what they say he did on Tammy Street in the Shaw Heights area.
A 14-year-old girl told deputies a man, later identified as Cooley, drove up beside her after she got off the school bus.
Cooley asked the girl if she knew how to get to Ramsey Street. When she said she didn't know, the man told her "Well, how bout you just get in the car with me," while starting to get out of his car. The girl sprinted away toward her home.
"He had served several years and then he got out and was on a monitoring device. One of the ways to keep track of him is lifetime monitoring. We were able to pinpoint where he was," said Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West.
The GPS monitor, which Cooley was wearing because he is a registered sex offender, was linked to the Tammy Street area at the time of the incident.
"It's kind of shaky especially with all the human trafficking stuff going on. Somebody come get your kids and you'll never see him again," said Shaw Heights resident James Gaunt. "I have a 14-year old myself. I'd be devasted if something like that happened. It's a good thing this community rallied together to get the information out there."
In 2014, Cooley kidnapped and sexually assaulted an 11-year-old Spring Lake girl. The then-28-year-old lured a girl into his car by pretending to be a police officer and telling her he needed help finding his dog, according to an ABC11 article from that time. Cooley then drove her to a wooded area and molested her.
Cooley was a registered sex offender prior to his 2014 arrest. He will have a court appearance on Wednesday afternoon.
"The best thing I can say is keep your kids tight, house secure and keep your eyes open," said Gaunt.
