ARKANSAS, USA — Isaac Melder, a 42-year-old Yellville, man has pleaded guilty to convincing a 14-year-old girl to run away from home and live with him in a cave, referring to each other as "husband and wife."
In May 2022, police began an investigation after a 14-year-old girl was reported missing from Mountain Home, and they identified Melder as a suspect.
According to court documents, officers located a stash of food, clothing, lingerie, and other items near property belonging to Melder's family.
A few days after she was reported missing, police say they found messages between the girl and Melder on her Xbox that described plans to run away and live together in a cave.
Police reportedly found evidence that Melder knew the girl was below the age of consent, along with sexually explicit messages from Melder to the girl.
Six weeks later, police reportedly found the girl in rural Marion County "living in a makeshift cave."
In an interview with Arkansas State Police (ASP), the girl stated that she and Melder "were in love and planned to run away together," and that the day she went missing she walked from her middle school to meet Melder before he took her to the cave that they would live in over the next six weeks.
In the affidavit that charged Melder with four counts of sexual indecency with a child, the girl is said to have told ASP she and Melder, who was 40 at the time, had "sexual intercourse on numerous occasions" in the cave.
Over a year later in July 2023, Melder made a plea deal where he confessed to persuading the girl to run away from home and have sex with him.
According to court docs, the charge could end with Melder serving between 10 years and life in prison, as well as having to register as a sex offender.
5NEWS will update this story as more information becomes available.
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