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Grand Rapids man faces life in prison for trying to abduct children

Courtesy of the Michigan Department of Corrections
/
MDOC

Police say Franklin Delano Farley tried to kidnap 5 young boys in as many days

Authorities Wednesday announced charges against a Grand Rapids man who had been trying to abduct young children over the past week.

The Grand Rapids Police Department said there had been five attempts since last Thursday to abduct young boys ages 5-13 by a man who claimed that he needed help finding his lost dog.

On Tuesday, authorities arrested that man, and now 39-year-old Franklin Delano Farley, 39, faces four felonies—including one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, and one count of kidnapping---

All five boys in all five incidents managed to escape and alert an adult, something that the GRPD says helped investigators I.D. the suspect.

The incidents all took place on the city’s northwest in the area of Alpine Avenue and Richmond Street, while two occurred at Richmond Park and one occurred near Harrison Elementary School.

Farley is a registered sex offender and faces life in prison if convicted.

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