It is my great pleasure to announce that Alyssa has been found SAFE after the abductor dropped her off at an Alabama Wal-Mart.

A Florida teenager lured into custody by a convicted sex offender with a violent history is alive and safe today after he dropped her off at a Wal-Mart store near the Alabama state line more than 400 miles from home.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced the discovery of 15-year-old Alyssa Frank at an afternoon news conference today after appealing to the public for help earlier in the day. Judd said that Frank now was with Florida authorities.

Judd said that Mitchell brought the girl to a Wal-Mart location and told her to meet him five minutes later. He then disappeared. “He looked for an area to dump her. And for that, we’re grateful,” Judd said. “Quite frankly, we’re thankful he didn’t kill her.”

Florida authorities will continue to hunt for Mitchell, who they believe is driving a 2000 black Chevrolet Lumina and has several tattoos on his arms and fingers. Mitchell was charged in 2002 with lewd and lascivious battery on a victim 12-15 years old. He has at least 14 arrests on his criminal record and has been charged in the past in connection with robbery, weapons smuggling and making bomb threats. Judd said they believe Mitchell is carrying a handgun.

“We are relieved because she is alive and because she is well,” Judd said, “but other children are not safe as long as our suspect is at large. That’s why we still ask for the communitry to help us.”

Let’s continue to keep our eyes peeled — this man could be anywhere, and as Judd says, there’s no telling what more he could do. Someone else’s child could be the next one taken, and the next one might not come home.

Let’s bring this criminal to justice.

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A police manhunt is under way statewide for a Jacksonville sexual offender suspected of kidnapping a 15-year-old Central Florida girl he met on the Internet.

William Joe Mitchell, 46, had been communicating with Alyssa Frank on her Myspace.com account and she told friends she was planning to run away for love, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told the Times-Union this morning.

Alyssa’s parents noticed she was missing shortly before 6:30 a.m. Monday from their home near Bartow and called police. Investigators learned about Alyssa’s communication with Mitchell – he led her to believe he was 24 years old – and put out a statewide Amber Alert this morning. They said they believe Mitchell traveled to Bartow from Jacksonville to pick up Alyssa.

“He is predator and a pedophile and he groomed this child and convinced her this was a loving relationship,” Judd said. “She left under the cloak of darkness in the middle of the night to be with him.”

Jacksonville police went to Mitchell’s last known address in the 1400 block of Lane Avenue, but did not find him. He moved there about two weeks ago from another Jacksonville home in the 2200 block of Evergreen Avenue. Judd said other sexual predators lived at that home.

State records show that Mitchell was released from the Baker County Correctional Institution in December after serving a sentence for lewd and lascivious battery on a girl in St. Johns County. He is on probation in that case.

Records also show other convictions for Mitchell as far back as 1981, all but one in St. Johns County. Those included prison time served for accessory to armed robbery, escape, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and grand theft auto.

Judd said police have no idea where Alyssa and Mitchell were headed.

“We believe she’s in grave danger,” Judd said. “Our goal is to find her and return her to her family alive. Our second goal is to take Billy Joe Mitchell into custody.”

Mitchell, also known as Billy Mitch, is a white male, 5-foot-10, 158 pounds with brown eyes and blue hair. He also has tattoos of “Lisa” and a cross on his left arm, “We” and “Bill” on his right arm and “Love” on his fingers.

He was last seen driving a 2000 black Chevrolet Lumina with license plate G02-5EL.

Alyssa is a white female, 5-foot-9, 200 pounds with hazel eyes and curly brown hair. She has freckles and three piercings on both ears. She may be wearing a pink or black “Tinkerbell” shirt, jeans and black tennis shoes with gray and black checkered shoelaces.

Anyone with information should call the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at (863) 533-0344, (800) 226-TIPS or 911.

Stay on the lookout regardless of where you are, as police have no idea where the two are headed, but especially stay sharp if you live in Florida. That’s someone’s daughter, sister, niece — try to help police bring her home safe.

This will be the only story I post today as I consider Amber Alerts to be of upmost importance, and this one in particular involves a criminal in my own city. Look at the picture, memorize it, and stay alert.

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