CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A New York man is accused of traveling to North Carolina to have sexual conduct with a minor, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Manuel Oppenheimer, 26, is charged with one count of traveling across state lines for the purpose of
engaging in sexual activity with a minor.

According to allegations in the federal charging document, on April 16, 2020, the Union County Sheriff’s Office received information on a missing 14-year-old girl, who was possibly in Charlotte with an adult male, later identified as Oppenheimer.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers were able to locate the minor at a residence in Charlotte and the minor was returned to Union County. Law enforcement subsequently arrested Oppenheimer.

According to allegations in the criminal complaint, law enforcement determined that Oppenheimer met the minor on Omegle, a free online chat website, and later began talking to the minor on Snapchat.

The federal criminal complaint alleges that Oppenheimer wanted to meet the minor in April due to the COVID-19 outbreak, otherwise it was possible their meeting would need to be postponed up to a year, until the outbreak was over.

The criminal complaint further alleges that the defendant was aware that the victim was a minor, and that he traveled from Brooklyn to Charlotte to meet with the minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual contact.

Oppenheimer had his first appearance in court on Tuesday and remains in federal custody.