Overview
- The teenager was allegedly grabbed from Bradgate Road in Bowdon while walking alone and was reported missing later that evening, with police saying the abduction took place at about 6.45pm on Monday.
- A passerby heard the girl scream, reported the van’s registration, and officers located the vehicle in the Cottons Hotel and Spa car park in Knutsford in the early hours of Tuesday, where the girl was found and a man was arrested.
- Greater Manchester Police have charged 56‑year‑old Paul Sharpe of Stockport with kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, making threats with a bladed article and administering a substance with intent; he has been remanded to appear at court.
- Specialist officers are supporting the 15‑year‑old and her family, and reports say she was threatened with a knife and held for about seven hours; police have said she was not physically injured but remains traumatised.
- Authorities treat the incident as random and say there is no wider risk to the public, and detectives are continuing to gather CCTV and witness accounts as enquiries and evidence-building progress in the coming days.