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AMARILLO (AP) — Prosecutors say a New Mexico man faces up to life in federal prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl he picked up in Texas as she sought a lift.
Royce Wade Lander of Continental Divide, New Mexico, was convicted of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Randall County records show the 32-year-old Lander remains jailed pending sentencing in Amarillo.
Investigators say Lander last May 31 picked the girl up at a truck stop near Amarillo as she sought a ride into the city. Lander, who had knife, drove them to New Mexico and sexually assaulted her.
She escaped in Milan, New Mexico. A trucker gave her a ride to Sayre, Oklahoma, where she contacted police.
Lander was arrested last July in St. Michaels, Arizona.
