Stephen Beadman, 28, from Ibstock, has been charged with the murder of 15-year-old Kayleigh Haywood, Leicestershire Police said tonight.
Just hours earlier, Kayleigh's parents made an emotional appeal to the public to come forward with information, saying: "We just need to know what has happened to our baby girl."
In a statement, Stephanie Haywood and Martin Whitby added: "It is breaking our hearts and we are shedding tear after tear.
"We love Kayleigh so much and without her our family is incomplete. A big part of our lives has gone."
As the investigation turned into a murder probe, Kayleigh's Facebook account was being examined by officers investigating her disappearance and police widened a large-scale search to an area of agricultural land in Belton, around 10 miles away from the teenager's home.
A mobile phone belonging to Kayleigh was recovered in Ibstock and undisclosed items of clothing thought to be linked to her were found in both Ibstock and Diseworth.
A second man, Luke Harlow, 27, also of Ibstock, has been charged with grooming and two counts of sexual activity with a child, Leicestershire Police said.
As the investigation turned into a murder probe, Kayleigh's Facebook account was being examined by officers investigating her disappearance and police widened a large-scale search to an area of agricultural land in Belton, around 10 miles away from the teenager's home.
A mobile phone belonging to Kayleigh was recovered in Ibstock and undisclosed items of clothing thought to be linked to her were found in both Ibstock and Diseworth.
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