Suspect in 1989 Florida Child Abduction Nabbed in Philippines

Nearly 40 years after a 7-year-old girl was abducted from a Tampa bowling alley and sexually abused, authorities say they've identified a suspect living on the other side of the world. Hillsborough County investigators used preserved DNA and genealogical techniques to zero in on Young Tom Talmadge, 69, who was arrested Thursday in Cavite, Philippines, by that country's Bureau of Immigration fugitive unit, per WTVT. He is expected to face charges in Florida including sexual battery on a child under 12, lewd and lascivious acts, and kidnapping.

The 1989 case began at the now-closed Tampa Lanes on North Dale Mabry Highway, where a man allegedly gave the girl coins for arcade games, lured her to his car, sexually battered her, then dropped her at another bowling alley, where she received help. Philippine authorities say they acted on information from a Hillsborough County arrest warrant issued in March 2025 as part of a broader effort to keep the country from becoming a refuge for suspected child predators. It's unclear when Talmadge might be extradited. The Philippines government is also moving to deport him, per the Guardian.