Oh I got ya'! Well, I think his behavior as reported in this case and by students who knew him shows more than the type of behavior of someone trying to fight urges. To me it is pretty clear he has been at this for years. I think it would be a miracle if he had never tried this on another child.
You have a found a cite for the law that states it isn't illegal for a kid to go off with an adult? Could you link me? Again, what I have found after research is that while it is not illegal for the KID to go off, meaning he or she won't get into trouble, it is definitely illegal for an adult to harbor a runaway and it is definitely illegal for an adult to take a kid across state lines for the purpose of sexually assaulting her in any way, including via statutory rape, and it is illegal for an adult to coerce or persuade a child to run off with him via fraud. Like telling her a lie to get her to go, with the intent of doing something sexual to her.
I cited all of those laws a couple times. Let me know if I missed something.