Maryland man charged in sex abuse of Suffolk teen who was missing, police say

A Maryland man has been arrested and arraigned on charges he sexually abused a teen who had gone missing from Suffolk County, according to police and court records.

Maryland State police said Kelvin Emanuel Granados-Sorto, 27, of Greenbelt, Maryland, was arrested Monday following an investigation that was begun after police were contacted by Suffolk County police detectives looking into the case of "a missing child." Due to the nature of the crime, police have confirmed few details of the investigation, but said the victim was a female teen.

Police have not detailed how Granados-Sorto met the girl or why Long Island investigators targeted him as a suspect.

In a statement on the Maryland State police website, police said: "Detectives believed based on evidence gathered over the course of their investigation that the missing child, who is known to Granados-Sorto, could be with the suspect."

Police said that troopers, with assistance from the FBI, served a warrant at the home of Granados-Sorto on Monday, at which time the teen was located. Granados-Sorto, who was not home at the time, was arrested when he returned to the residence "a short time later," police said in the statement.

Records show Granados-Sorto was transported to the Prince George's County Detention Center and held for arraignment. Online court records show Granados-Sorto was arraigned Monday and charged with sex abuse of a minor, which is a statutory charge.

It was not immediately clear if Granados-Sorto was represented by counsel and court records do not indicate whether or not he was remanded, though a police statement said he was being held without bail. Police said the case remained under investigation.

Suffolk police did not immediately comment on their role in that investigation.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”