McGregor police report tracking a suspected child abuser across the country before he was finally taken into custody and brought back to the area to face charges.

Steven Jewell Bernard was booked into the McLennan County Jail on charges of continuous sexual abuse of a young child Tuesday after being arrested by Fort Worth police.

Bernard had been named in a complaint obtained during the investigation that began when police were called January 31 of this year.

McGregor police say the mother of the victim said she had reason to believe her child had been molested by the man.  Police said that after forensic interviews it appeared that the child was a credible witness.

Officers obtained a warrant but then determined that their suspect had left town and had gone to the Indianapolis area.

As their search continued,  detectives learned that he might have then gone to Fort Worth and enlisted the local police there in finding him.

Police say the abuse of the female child began when she was three years old and continued over several months.