Texas Airman Sentenced To Life For Kidnapping 14-Year-Old

A man from Texas stationed at an Air Force base was recently sentenced to life in prison for continuous sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl. He even went so far as to drive 9 hours to visit her in Colorado, ultimately kidnapping her and smuggling her back to Texas in the trunk of his car.

The Horrific Tale of a Predator Airman

According to the recent release from the U.S. Department of Justice, a worried father in Colorado Springs contacted 911 to inform them that his 14-year-old daughter was missing.

The girl's cell phone was left behind, and her father discovered messages from a man telling his daughter that he was considering picking her up and bringing her to Texas with him.

There were messages also revealing that the man wished to be with the girl sexually, bribing her with alcohol and admitting he would resort to violence if necessary.

Colorado Springs officers reviewed video surveillance and discovered that the man who was communicating with the girl was 24-year-old Travis Robert Larson, a Sheppard Air Force Base Airman.

Larson was seen picking up the girl in his vehicle on May 3, just as he said he would.

How the Routine Meet-Up Turned Into a Kidnapping

You see, this wasn't the first time that Larson drove to Colorado Springs to meet the girl. In fact, she later revealed to investigators that Larson had visited her on two other prior occasions for sexual meetups before he kidnapped her.

The visit on May 3 was just supposed to be another hook-up, and Larson did perform sexual acts with the minor at a nearby park once he arrived at her residence. But this time, Larson proceeded to drive back to Texas against the child's will.

The 14-year-old was forced to hide in Larson's trunk as he returned to Sheppard Air Force Base, keeping her hidden as he slipped her into his dorm room. It was here where the minor was sexually abused multiple times before authorities were able to rescue her.

Larson's Massive Prison Sentence

Court documents emphasized the fact that Larson had personal information of the girl on his phone from the beginning, so he was well aware that she was only 14. In fact, the girl admitted that Larson first reached out to her years before when she was just 10 or 11.

Travis Robert Larson was charged and pled guilty in November 2025 to one count of enticement of a minor and one count of sexual abuse of a minor. On February 27, 2026, Larson was sentenced to life in prison.