Sex offender Benjamin Shook indicted after Amber Alert manhunt

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SURGOINSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A 41-year-old sex offender has been indicted for violating the Sex Offender Registry Law after authorities say the man was on the run with a 14-year-old East Tennessee girl for two weeks.

The Citizen Tribune reports that federal prosecutors obtained a multi-purpose, one-count indictment on Tuesday against Benjamin Shook, who is accused of failing to register as a sex offender in five separate states.

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Shook and the girl were taken into custody in southern Virginia on July 6, 14 days after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says the girl left her Surgoinsville home.

An Amber Alert was issued for the girl on June 23, who was spotted that day in North Carolina, with Shook.

Prosecutors can return to the grand jury at a later date to pursue additional charges.

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