A 16-year-old girl listed as runaway from a Jefferson County Amish community may have left with a man who is named on the state Megan's Law Web site as a sex offender.

According to police, a man named Fred Dilts, 52, took the girl, Sarah D. Troyer, her 18-year-old brother, David, and a friend to his house in Indiana County in a black Hyundai Elantra sedan. The friend returned home the next day, but the girl and her brother stayed with Mr. Dilts, who knows the Amish community, police said.

At the DuBois state police barracks, Trooper Shawn Compton said yesterday it is believed Mr. Dilts was helping the brother and sister leave the Amish community. The trooper did not know how they met Mr. Dilts.

He said police have had contact with the brother. However, he told police he doesn't know where his sister is.

The trooper could recall several cases of Amish children leaving the community in the last two years. He said all of them have been found.

Mr. Dilts is listed on the state Web site as a sex offender who was convicted of rape in 1987. The site does not specify the age of the victim.

The site says that Mr. Dilts is white, 5 foot 9 and 195 pounds, has blue eyes and brown hair. He has two tattoos: one on the left arm saying "Born to win" and the other on the right arm with the word "Tiger."

The girl is described as 5 feet tall and weighing 90 pounds. She has brown, straight hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information may call state police in DuBois at 814-371-4652.