Quick-Thinking Dad Saves Daughter From Alleged Predator She Met Through App
One man's fatherly instincts just might have saved his daughter's life.
Missing daughter
Southern California native Tim Leblanc woke up in the middle of the night to every father's nightmare: His 12-year-old daughter was not in the house.
'The screen was off and [the] window was open about three inches or so,' LeBlanc told KCAL.
He immediately woke his son up as they rushed outside to search for her.
To his horror, he spotted her with an adult man just down the street. The man was leading her into a vehicle.
"He had this door open about this wide and had his arm around my daughter and was kind of sweeping her in, putting her into the truck."
- Tim LeBlanc
When LeBlanc confronted the man, he began yelling that he was 16 years old when he clearly wasn’t.
'There was no way. He was obviously a grown man' LeBlanc said.
Paternal force
That’s when the man threw a punch at LeBlanc. LeBlanc avoided it then knocked his opponent to the ground, pinning him there until authorities could arrive and arrest him.
The man, identified as 27-year-old Scott Stilwell, was taken into police custody and charged with providing harmful matter to a minor and meeting a minor with the intention of committing a lewd or lascivious act.
It turns out that the LeBlanc's daughter had first come to know the predator through Instagram and then corresponded with him on messaging app Kik. According to LeBlanc, his daughter thought that she was going to meet a 16-year-old boy.
Apparently, the boy lured her with gifts like a jacket, necklace and hat. He apparently also sent her naked photos of himself.
"What I’ve gained from my interaction with this guy is I don’t think she would’ve ever come home alive."
Tim LeBlanc
Applaud protective dads
LeBlanc told NBC San Diego that there's little doubt of what would have happened if he had not been there.
“I probably wouldn’t have a daughter if I hadn’t caught this.”
Fathers often get criticized for being overprotective and overbearing, especially with their daughters. While they're often accused of being distrustful, the reality is that they know that life can be dangerous, and not everyone has good intentions.
Thankfully, Tim LeBlanc put being a good father ahead of being a "cool dad" and avoided the unimaginable.
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