Sydney girl lured to US for sex home again

A Sydney schoolgirl found in the United States after convicted killer Sean Price allegedly flew her abroad for sex has returned to Australia, police say.

A general view of a woman holding a mobile phone with the Snapchat app

A Sydney schoolgirl who allegedly met a US man on Snapchat has returned to Australia, police say. (AAP)

The principal of an exclusive Sydney girls' school says it's a relief a 16-year-old student who flew to the US to meet a 39-year-old man for sex is home again with her family.

The Lindfield teenager allegedly met Sean Price on social media app Snapchat in October 2016.

Six months later she was on a plane to Los Angeles with the pair then driving across the country to New York.

Price is now behind bars in New York accused of contacting the girl and enticing her overseas for sex.

The girl's parents reported her missing more than a month ago - the same day she left Sydney.

"Our thoughts are with both the student and her family at this difficult time," Pymble Ladies' College principal Vicki Waters said in a message to parents on Friday.

She told them their daughters had been "advised to avoid commenting on the situation amongst friends and especially on social media".

"Due to the fact the student is legally a child and that the police are now investigating the situation, we have impressed upon the girls the need to maintain confidentiality," the principal wrote.

It's alleged Price transferred about $2000 to the girl's bank account before she fled overseas.

US prosecutors allege the pair met and drove in a hire car to New York where Price lived with his mother in Queens.

NYPD officers went to Price's home on May 12 and caught him and the girl hiding in the basement.

The girl has since returned to Australia, Australia Federal Police confirmed on Friday.

Ms Waters wrote: "We are relieved to hear that she is home and safe."

The girl, referred to in US court documents as "Jane Doe", was reported missing on April 11 and a search of flight records revealed she had left the country, the AFP told AAP.

The 16-year-old's parents are working with Australian and US officials to determine exactly what happened to lead the girl to leave Sydney.


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Source: AAP



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