KEY LARGO, Fla. — A 53-year-old Key Largo man accused of hiding a teenage girl inside a clothes dryer when deputies arrived at his home had allegedly maintained a secret sexual relationship with the victim for roughly two years after meeting her online, according to an arrest report obtained Tuesday by Local 10 News.
Jail records show Christopher Michael Veit faces charges including kidnapping, interference with child custody and four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor after Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies said they found a 16-year-old girl inside a closed clothes dryer at his Key Largo home Sunday.
According to an arrest report, deputies responded to Veit’s home in the 800 block of Miramar Drive after a girl called 911 and reported she was being “held hostage,” telling dispatchers to “please hurry” and saying Veit had initially taken her phone away.
When deputies arrived, Veit allegedly told them there was no female at his home and said he did not know what they were talking about, according to investigators.
Deputies, however, confirmed the 911 call had originated from the property.
According to the report, Veit eventually allowed deputies into the home, where they discovered the girl inside a laundry dryer with the door closed.
When deputies asked Veit why he had denied the girl’s presence, investigators wrote that he looked down at the ground and did not respond, the report states.
The victim, who is from out-of-county, told deputies that she “had been sexually assaulted and needed help,” the report states.
Authorities said she was taken to Baptist Health Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, where she consented to a sexual assault examination, according to the report.
Investigators said the girl’s mother told deputies she did not know her daughter was in Monroe County and had not given permission for her to be with Veit.
During an interview, the victim told investigators she met Veit through an online dating website when she was 14 years old, the report states.
Investigators said the victim claimed that she and Veit met in person shortly afterward, had sex, and continued a relationship that remained secret after she allegedly told him her age.
Deputies said the victim told investigators that Veit later became her “sugar daddy” and paid her $600. She claimed their relationship continued for approximately two years, the report states.
According to the report, the girl traveled to Key Largo multiple times and had been staying at Veit’s home in the days leading up to Sunday’s incident.
Investigators said she told them Veit purchased a Brightline train ticket for her to travel from Central Florida to South Florida before picking her up and driving her to his home.
They said the victim told deputies she wanted to return home Sunday, but Veit took her phone and prevented her from contacting anyone for help. According to the report, she said he climbed on top of her, used his weight to keep her from moving and took both her phone and bag.
She further alleged that Veit threatened to “do what I did before,” which she interpreted as a reference to prior incidents in which he allegedly slapped her repeatedly and held a pillow over her face, according to investigators.
The report states that when Veit went outside, the victim used his phone to call 911 before deleting the call from the device’s log.
After patrol vehicles arrived, the girl told investigators that Veit confronted her and asked whether she had called police. She said he then ordered her to “get in the dryer,” and she complied because she was “afraid of him,” deputies said.
According to the report, the victim told investigators that Veit had previously discussed using the dryer to hide her if law enforcement ever came to the house.
Investigators said they executed a search warrant at the home and collected evidence that corroborated portions of the victim’s account including her iPhone, bed sheets, and two bags belonging to the victim on the chair.
Authorities said detectives also found “several sheets of counterfeit currency” and notified the U.S. Secret Service.
MCSO spokesperson Adam Linhardt said the victim was placed under the care of a family member. He said MCSO also notified the Florida Department of Children and Families.
As of Tuesday, Veit was being held in MCSO’s Key West jail facility, where his bond was listed at $650,000.
“The case remains ongoing and more charges may be pending,” Linhardt said.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
