Road trips for sex with minor land alleged cougar behind bars

JOPPA, Md. - It all started out innocently enough with a pair of gamers flying make-believe bombers as part of the on-line game War 2 Glory.
    
But the 16-year old Florida boy dropped a real bomb on his parents when he disclosed he was having a real-life affair with a 39-year old Maryland woman.

"Florida law enforcement authorities obtained a warrant for Lisa Carroll from Joppa charging her with nine counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and one count of traveling to meet a minor," said Greg Shipley of the Maryland State Police.
    
According to investigators, Carroll and the teen moved beyond the video game to forming a relationship via Skype that became physical when the woman allegedly drove 800 miles to meet him in a Southwest Florida hotel.

The minor’s parents intervened after they learned of the relationship, but they had no idea it had gone that far and that the couple planned on getting married.

"The information developed during the investigation is that there is apparently, at least on their part, an engagement between the two.  At least that's what they told investigators," said Shipley.

Much like the video game that brought them together, the bombs don’t stop there.

When police showed up at Carroll’s apartment to serve a warrant and to take her into custody, they learned she was married, and her husband learned of her alleged crimes and indiscretions as she was cuffed and led away.

This would not constitute a crime in Maryland where the legal age is 16, but in Florida, the laws are different.

It’s a crime for 16 or 17-year olds to have sex with anyone over the age of 23.