Authorities this week arrested a former Boulder resident who they believe is a white supremacist and a known pedophilia advocate at Denver International Airport for allegedly kidnapping a 12-year-old girl from Fresno, California.
A local, state, and federal investigation led police to Nathan Daniel Larson, 40, who lives in Catlett, Virginia. Larson unsuccessfully walked for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates in 2017. He was also in federal prison for 14 months after sending an email to US Secret Service in December 2008 while living in Boulder, threatening to kill the president.
According to the Fresno Sheriff’s Office, Larson has a website that encourages child rape and shares the images and photos. He had cared for the 12-year-old girl for two months and met her through social media, the sheriff’s office said in a press release on Saturday. The child was reported missing on Monday.
Police believe he forced the young girl to run away with him, and they said Larson flew from Virginia to Fresno to pick her up at about 2am. They then used a ride to get to the Fresno airport where Larson reportedly forced the girl into a wig and told her to act like she had a disability and couldn’t speak so she wouldn’t talk to anyone when she was on her way were to Washington, DC on a flight with a layover in Denver.
Detectives from Fresno contacted the Denver police, and a Denver police officer assigned to the local FBI task force arrested Larson at DIA. Authorities also rescued the young girl and reunited her with her family on Monday night, the sheriff’s office said. She was not hurt.
Larson is being held in Denver County Jail on suspicion of felony housing a minor and charged with felony in Fresno County on charges of kidnapping, child abduction, soliciting child pornography from a minor and meeting a child with intent have sex, the office stated. Larson scheduled a hearing in Denver on Thursday, and Fresno police are planning to request authorities to extradite Larson to Fresno.
Virginia and federal law enforcement searched Larson’s home in Virginia on Thursday, where they said Larson’s father, 69-year-old Arthur Larson, had assaulted a Homeland Security Investigations agent. He was arrested on charges of assault and destruction.
Investigators said they believe Larson has abused other children in the past for the way he cared for the 12-year-old girl and asked that anyone who has information about inappropriate contact with Larson should contact Brandon Pursell, Lieutenant of the Sheriff of Fresno by phone County. -8029 or email at [email protected], or Sergeant Chad Stokes by phone at 559-600-8144 or email at [email protected].
Authorities also encourage parents to monitor their children’s Internet use, including applications, and to have conversations with their children to build trust. “Online predators often pretend to be someone else to lure in and take advantage of their victims,” the sheriff’s office said. “Teach children to be wary of the person on the other end of the chat line; often people are not who they say they are. “
Police require that any suspicious activity be reported to the police immediately, either through a cybertip with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at report.cybertip.org or by contacting Homeland Security Investigations at 866-347-2423.