2 Illinois men accused of attempting to kidnap Laurel County teen

Laurel County deputies arrested two Illinois men early Saturday morning after they were accused of attempting to kidnap a 17-year-old girl from her home.

Deputies were called shortly before 6 a.m. on Jan. 31 to a residence just off U.S. 25, about seven miles south of London.

According to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, the teen’s mother told deputies that two men—19-year-old Gabriel Waibel and 43-year-old Chad Goffinet, both of Peoria, Illinois—arrived at the home and claimed they were there to pick up her daughter. The mother told the men to leave and then contacted law enforcement.

Deputies said the teen had been communicating online with Waibel for approximately two months. Investigators believe the suspects planned to take the teen to Texas.

While investigating the scene, deputies found footprints in the snow believed to belong to the two men. Deputies later located the suspects and their vehicle in a business parking lot along U.S. 25 in southern Laurel County.

According to a news release, Waibel was allegedly planning to take the teen back to Illinois without her parents’ consent.

Waibel was charged with attempted kidnapping of a minor, first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor, illegal sex act with a minor under 18, and first-degree sexual abuse. Goffinet was charged with complicity in the kidnapping of a minor and possession of marijuana.

Both men are being held in the Laurel County Correctional Center. Waibel is being held on a $75,000 cash bond, while Goffinet’s bond is set at $50,000 cash. They are scheduled to appear in court at 11 a.m. on Feb. 2.

Credit: Chris Karenbauer/FOX56