NASHVILLE, Tenn. —Authorities in Tennessee successfully located two missing girls from East Tennessee over the weekend, leading to the arrest of a Nashville man on felony kidnapping charges.
The minors, aged 12 and 13, were reported missing on Sunday, January 19, from a home in the Soddy Daisy area of Hamilton County.
Investigators later discovered the girls had been in communication with 21-year-old Isaac Schellsmidt, a man from Nashville, through social media.
Law enforcement officials believe the girls left their home early Sunday morning and met Schellsmidt nearby. According to court documents, Schellsmidt then drove the girls to his Nashville residence, where he allegedly engaged in sexual activity with the 13-year-old.
Investigators say Schellsmidt was aware that the girls were minors when he picked them up and that he knew their parents were actively searching for them while they were at his home.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), worked together to track down the girls. MNPD officers arrived at Schellsmidt’s residence and located the minors, who were unharmed but accompanied by two men.
The girls were safely returned to their parents. Schellsmidt was arrested and charged with felony kidnapping.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case.
