A father from Ohio traveled across state lines with his infant child to meet underage girls.
Ryan P. Loveless, 38, of Hilliard, Ohio, was arrested on Friday after investigators from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office were informed that he had arranged to meet a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl.
When authorities asked him why he brought his baby along, he claimed it was because he didn’t have a babysitter. Reportedly, he told the minors to enter a hotel room he rented in Danville, Illinois, through a side door.
As soon as the sheriff’s office became aware of his plans, they obtained an arrest warrant and located him in the hotel parking lot. He was indeed intending to meet the young girls.
The infant was evaluated medically and then handed over to family members. Fortunately, the child was unharmed.
The drive from Hilliard, Ohio, to Danville, Illinois, is nearly five hours. Loveless was taken to the Knox County Jail, where he was seen in a yellow safety vest, typically given to prisoners on suicide watch.
He faces numerous charges, including four counts of indecent solicitation of a child, two counts of traveling to meet a child, two counts of grooming, and two counts of solicitation to meet a child. His next court date has not been set.
Following this incident, the Knox County Sheriff urged parents to be aware of their children’s social media activity and to know who they are communicating with.
According to his Facebook profile, Loveless is a student at Columbia State University. Just days before his arrest, he had posted about being a good father.
