Lake Charles, Louisiana - A 29-year-old North Carolina man faces multiple felony charges in Lake Charles after police say he traveled across the country to have sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl he met on social media.
Benjamin Yilmaz Kacan, 29, of Concord, North Carolina, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 28, 2025, following a three-month investigation by the Lake Charles Police Department. The case began when officers responded to a missing person report on April 27, 2025.
Police were dispatched to a Lake Charles residence at approximately 2:10 a.m. regarding a missing 15-year-old female. While officers were at the scene, the juvenile returned home and told her mother and police she had been with Kacan.
Detective Tre Mixon, the lead investigator on the case, determined that Kacan had befriended the juvenile on social media earlier in April. According to police, Kacan devised a plan to meet the minor in person, flying from North Carolina to Houston, Texas, before traveling to Lake Charles.
During his stay in Louisiana, Kacan rented rooms at both a local hotel and an Airbnb property. Police say he had sexual contact with the juvenile while in Lake Charles before returning to the Charlotte area.
Following their investigation, detectives obtained an arrest warrant charging Kacan with three counts of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and one count of computer-aided solicitation of a minor. The warrant was issued with no bond option.
The Lake Charles Police Department submitted the warrant to the U.S. Marshals Service for execution. When marshals located Kacan at an apartment outside Charlotte on July 28, he attempted to evade arrest by jumping from his third-floor balcony. He was quickly apprehended without further incident.
Kacan was booked into the local county jail in North Carolina and initially contested extradition on two separate occasions. The Calcasieu Parish District Attorney's Office prepared a governor's warrant for extradition, which is a formal legal document requesting the return of a fugitive to face charges in another state.
Kacan later waived his right to contest extradition and will be transported to the Calcasieu Correctional Center at a later date.
The charges against Kacan carry serious penalties under Louisiana law. Felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile involves sexual intercourse with someone under 17 years of age when the offender is at least three years older. Computer-aided solicitation of a minor involves using electronic communication to solicit illegal sexual conduct with someone under 17.
Lake Charles Police indicated that this remains an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Lake Charles Police Department at 337-491-1311 or submit an anonymous tip through the Lake Charles Police Department mobile application.
The case highlights the dangers of online predators who use social media platforms to target minors.
All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.