AndrewBlakeCalumet City, IL – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released video of a child being kidnapped in broad daylight from a Calumet City street in December, as charges were filed against the Indiana man accused of doing it (video below).
Bryan Protho, 38, was charged on Jan. 26 in the abduction.
The FBI said that the video shows Protho grabbing the child as she walked down the sidewalk on her way home from school on Dec. 20, according to the indictment.
Authorities said Protho forced the child into his red Ford Explorer and drove away. He parked his vehicle in an alley and assaulted the child, according to the complaint.
The Chicago Tribune reported that the girl was 10 years old at the time of the abduction.
At first, the girl struggled with Protho, but he struck her several times in the face. When she screamed, Protho covered her mouth, according to an affidavit filed by an FBI agent.
When he stopped the vehicle, Protho ordered the girl to take off her pants. She refused. The affidavit said Protho asked her if she wanted to die and threatened to shoot her.
The Chicago Tribune reported that Protho removed the little girl’s pants and touched her, according to the affidavit.
The victim escaped and flagged down a passing vehicle, and the police were contacted.
The girl was able to give police a detailed description of her attacker, including the color of his clothes and a scar on his right cheek, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The victim then identified Protho, who is married, as her attacker from a photo array.
Protho was arrested Dec. 27 and has been in federal custody, according to the FBI. He faces one charge of kidnapping and up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The FBI’s Chicago bureau released the video to see if the vehicle was connected to any other crimes, the New York Post reported.
You can see the video of the kidnapping below: