Shoreview man, 21, charged with kidnapping 15-year-old girl
A 21-year-old Shoreview man is accused of holding a 15-year-old girl against her will in an attempt to force her into a traditional Hmong marriage.
Kong Meng Xiong was charged Tuesday with kidnapping, third-degree criminal sexual assault and false imprisonment. A criminal complaint accuses Xiong of dragging the girl into his car, locking her inside and driving off after an argument at her home Saturday night.
The charges claim Xiong's parents wanted the two to marry in the Hmong tradition, but the girl's parents were opposed because of their age difference.
The girl identified Xiong as her boyfriend. She told police that she and Xiong had begun dating in January, and the two of them had sex when she was 14.
It wasn't immediately known if Xiong has an attorney.
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