Arkansas man charged in abduction of Beaver Dam teen faces federal charges
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The Arkansas man accused of kidnapping a pregnant Beaver Dam teenager now also faces federal charges in Arkansas, an indictment filed last week states.
The indictment filed May 6 in the Eastern District of Arkansas accuses Gary Day of two charges of enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity, transportation of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, traveling with intent to engage in unlawful sex with a minor, production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
The federal charges are on top of state charges filed in Wisconsin and Nebraska.
According to court documents, Day and Franklin started speaking online in April 2024. The complaint states that Sophia, who was 16 years old at the time, lived with him for several months at his Arkansas home while her parents thought she was staying with a friend in Beaver Dam. The complaint accuses Day of picking Sophia up in Wisconsin and bringing her back to Arkansas in July 2024.
Law enforcement in Arkansas alerted Franklin’s family of her whereabouts in December 2024, and she returned home. Franklin and Day started speaking again in January, and Day was spotted on the Franklin family’s home surveillance footage the morning of Feb. 3.
Franklin’s father reported her missing that day, and an Amber Alert was sent out.
Day was arrested on April 3 in Sarpy County, Nebraska, after a couple at a truck stop was concerned after seeing Day and Franklin traveling together. A woman determined Franklin was the subject of an Amber Alert and immediately called 911.
Day pleaded not guilty in April to two misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and false reporting in Sarpy County, Nebraska. Day waived extradition in Nebraska, and returned to Wisconsin.
Day then appeared in court in Wisconsin to face charges in Dodge County. A Dodge County court commissioner set Day’s cash bail at $2 million on April 17, deeming him an extreme flight risk. He is charged with two counts of child abduction and two counts of child enticement in Dodge County, Wisconsin.
Day is expected to appear in Arkansas for an arraignment and plea hearing at 2 p.m. on May 27. He has an arraignment hearing in Dodge County, Wisconsin, on June 3.
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