ISLE OF WIGHT
Investigators continue to actively search for a man who, a year ago on Thursday, forcibly put an 11-year-old Carrollton girl in his car and drove off for several hours before returning her.

“We’re still working leads,” said Sgt. Tommy Potter of the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office.

The child, whose identity continues to remain undisclosed, reported that she was going to her bus stop at 8 a.m. when the abduction happened. The vehicle was described as a white or gray/silver Chevy car, similar to a 2-door Chevrolet Cavalier. A recent new detail is that the dashboard of the vehicle is described as missing a softball-sized chunk, which is located in the middle of the dashboard.

“It could be a defect or perhaps a radio speaker was removed,” Potter said.

From there the abductor and girl drove down through the county to the southern part of Suffolk and even into North Carolina. At one point the girl was taken to some woods behind an abandoned house. On the return trip, she was taken to another wooded area, this time on a gravel road called Iron Mine Springs in Isle of Wight.

In both places, it was reported, the girl was sexually assaulted.

The abductor is said to have come back through the Smithfield area and dropped off the girl around noon in the area from where she was taken.

The man has been described as having visible freckles, of medium build, short blond hair with a thin beard of blond and white whiskers, but no mustache. He has bushy blond eyebrows, blue eyes, sometimes wore round brown eyeglasses, large full lips, slightly yellowed teeth and a wide nose.

Potter said there have been 729 leads related to this investigation. Of the 24 leads that emerged since January this year, three are actively been researched. There were 21 leads that were closed after personal interviews with persons of interest.

Another new development is that there is forensic evidence that “will conclusively identify the offender. There can be no chance of mistaken identity.”

“Somebody knows him,” Potter said.

The investigator added that during all this time many people have said they didn’t know where Carrollton was located. The area is a collection of residences and businesses in the northern part of Isle of Wight, which is connected by the James River Bridge to Newport News.

The Sheriff’s Office is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, United States Marshalls’ Service and also the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The family is in contact with authorities about any development about the case.

“The girl is doing well,” Potter said when asked about her status. “She’s adapted fairly well.”

If you have any information, contact the Isle of Wight Tip Line 365-6290, or go to the FBI Norfolk website at Norfolk.fbi.gov to find information look under the press room section.