Authorities in Kentucky are searching for Brittney Kustes, a 19-year-old Bullitt County woman who they allege is being held against her will by a registered sex offender with a previous kidnapping conviction.

"We're very concerned for this girl's safety," Lt. Scotty McGaha of the Bullitt County Sheriff's Office said in an interview with AOL News. "This is a real bad guy, and he has a [criminal] record a mile long."

Kustes was last seen at her grandmother's house in Brooks, just south of Louisville, on July 17. Her mother reported her missing two days later.

A witness told police she had spotted Roy Vernon Elwell, a 34-year-old convicted sex offender, driving up and down the street on the day Kustes disappeared.

When authorities searched Elwell's home, they were unable to locate him. As a result, they are also seeking him for a noncompliance sex offender violation, a felony that carries a potential prison sentence of five years.

A judge also issued a bench warrant today when Elwell failed to appear in court on unrelated drug and child endangerment charges.

According to McGaha, Elwell's lengthy criminal record includes arrests for kidnapping, unlawful confinement, domestic violence, assault, stalking, robbery, impersonating a police officer and drug offenses.

Kustes knew Elwell and was found with him when she disappeared on another occasion last year, authorities said. Kustes' mother, Lori Kustes, has alleged that Elwell got her daughter hooked on methamphetamine during that time, ABC News reported.

Once Brittney Kustes returned home, her mother said, she went into a drug treatment program and managed to kick the habit. She was scheduled to testify against Elwell next week, according to her mother.

Investigators have received several tips about Elwell's whereabouts, including one in which a witness claimed to have seen Elwell and Kustes, and said Kustes had bruises on her arm. In another tip, a woman told police she had seen the two together, and described their behavior as unusual.

"She noticed that Elwell was holding [Kustes'] cell phone, which seemed odd," McGaha said. "What was even odder than that was she needed to go to the bathroom, and he went with her. He wouldn't let her out of his sight."

In addition to Kustes' safety, authorities are worried about her health: She has an undisclosed medical problem that requires regular medication. McGaha said investigators do not know whether she has any medication with her.

Since the national media have begun picking up on the story, tips on Elwell and Kustes' whereabouts have increased. Each time, however, authorities arrived on the scene apparently just minutes too late.

"Every time we get a good tip, we just miss them," McGaha said. "When the Kentucky State Police went to look at one of the spots, they missed them, but wound up doing a big drug bust -- so the good part of this, if there is anything good in this, is he's leaving a trail of arrests behind him."

As the case expands in scope, other agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, have joined in the hunt. As a result, officials say they believe it is only a matter of time before Elwell is in police custody.

"I can't get into specifics of [the investigation], but I can tell you there is a lot going on," McGaha said. "We just want to ensure this girl is brought back safe. A lot of people have told us that he is infatuated with her and that he mistreats her, so that is our biggest concern."

Elwell is believed to be driving a gold-colored car, possibly a Toyota, with a missing front driver's-side hubcap. Kustes' family is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Bullitt County Sheriff's Department at 502-955-7480.

http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/cops-fear-missing-kentucky-teen-brittney-kustes-is-being-held-by-sex-offender/19571944?test=latestnews

Why is a guy with this kind of record even out on the streets? Why isn't there a restraining order and protective order against him if she is set to testify against him? Well now that the FBI and Marshall's are invo,ved it is just a matter of time till hes caught.

That is good they got a major drug bust out of this, hopefully this wont be at this girls expense.

i've read that she has had dealings with him in the past, and that she left with him voluntary, because he got her the drugs she wanted, even though she was off them for a while.

Yea, but now with all the heat and knowing the system from his lengthy history he probably figures no matter what he will get tried for kidnapping and figured a dead witness is better then no witness.

Hopefully this has a happy ending. I just don't understand why the high risk sex offenders with violent and lengthy criminal histories arn't monitored better.