travel

Published on: September 20, 2025

Arizona Man Arrested for Sexually Assaulting Two Children

An 18-year-old Arizona man is facing a multitude of charges after a multi-agency investigation led the authorities to believe he was involved in sexually assaulting two underage individuals he met online.

According to reports, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, the Blountsville Police Department, and the Oneonta Police Department collaborated to investigate a situation involving an 18-year-old Blountsville man who allegedly engaged in conversations online with youngsters. They reported that they learned about two children with whom he exchanged messages. They believed that after becoming acquainted with the children, he found out where each of them lived and went to meet them in person to have sexual relations with them. Last week, sheriff’s deputies went to the suspect’s home with a warrant giving them permission to confiscate his electronic devices.

While they were there, the man was taken into custody and transported to the Blount County Detention Center, where he was booked on suspicion of many charges sought by two agencies. He is currently facing charges of two counts of electronic solicitation of a child, two counts of traveling to meet a child for a sex act, two counts of second-degree rape, two counts of second-degree sodomy, and one count of dissemination of child sexual abuse material from the sheriff’s department. The Blountsville police department is seeking additional charges of one count of second-degree rape, one count of traveling to meet a child for a sex act, one count of electronic solicitation of a child, one count of first-degree sodomy, one count of transmitting obscene material to a child, one count of possession of child sexual abuse material, and enticing a child to enter. At the time this was written, he was still in jail without bond.

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Published on: March 27, 2025

Man Battered Travel Companion After Car Broke Down

by Staycie R. Sena

When a man and woman experienced multiple complications during their travels together in Florida, it reportedly resulted in a physical fight and an arrest for battery.

Earlier this month, two people started in Tampa and took a road trip together. They traveled west towards Orlando and made it approximately 80 miles before they stopped in Kissimmee due to mechanical issues with the vehicle. They decided to get a room at an Econo Lodge while they figured things out. Unfortunately, after a few days, they were unable to afford to continue staying at the motel and had to sleep in the broken down vehicle which was parked in the lot.

Considering their financial struggles, they had problems trying to think of a way to get the car fixed, and the pair reportedly began arguing. The situation intensified until it allegedly became physically violent, and the authorities were notified. When the police arrived, they said they received some conflicting statements when they interviewed the man and woman. The pair reportedly had different answers when asked about their relationship to one another, with the man saying they had been romantically connected for months, and the woman claiming it was untrue and that they were not a couple. The man also said she punched him in the face and threw urine on him, but they believed he was the one who became physically violent towards the woman.

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Published on: August 18, 2020

Driving Mom Gave Bike Riding Juveniles an Illegal Tow

by Staycie R. Sena

When her child and his friend were unable to make it home from the lengthy bike journey they had taken, the mother reportedly assisted by using her vehicle to tow the juveniles while they sat on their bicycles.

On June 23, two boys decided to partake in an excursion involving a 6-mile bicycle ride.

While trying to make their way back home, the boys became too tired to continue and called one of their mother’s to have her pick them up.

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Published on: November 17, 2017

Couple Accused of Embezzling High School Band Trip Payments

by Staycie R. Sena

A married couple who own a travel business were charged with embezzlement after they allegedly accepted payment for booking international trips to Japan for San Diego high school band members and their parents, and then cancelled the trips. The company then filed for bankruptcy and the people were not offered refunds for the thousands of dollars they had spent.

Brad and Margie Matheson are the proprietors of a Georgia based travel service called Harmony International. In January 2016, they extended a package to four San Diego area high school’s band departments. The offer was for the school’s band members to take an international trip where parents could accompany their children to Japan.

Brad Matheson presented the offer in a Skype meeting telling parents and students, “If you register before March 1, 2016, for this group, you’ll receive free trip cancellation insurance.” He stated this offer was intended as an added incentive bonus in order to encourage early registration.

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