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Amy Yu and Kevin Esterly. Photo: AP

Missing US teen Amy Yu and 45-year-old ‘secret boyfriend’ found in Mexico almost two weeks after he signed her out of school

Kevin Esterly was able to sign out a 16-year-old girl from her Pennsylvania school because she had changed school documents to list him as her stepfather

A missing Pennsylvania teenager and a 45-year-old man who frequently signed her out of school without her parents’ permission have been located in Mexico, authorities said.

The Allentown Morning Call reported US and Mexican authorities found Kevin Esterly and 16-year-old Amy Yu in Playa del Carmen on Saturday.

They were being returned to the US.

Esterly was taken into custody and will face a charge of interference with the custody of a child when he arrived in Pennsylvania.

“For two weeks, I’ve had trouble sleeping and eating,” Amy’s mother Miu Luu said.

“I’m very happy.”

Esterly and Amy had been missing since March 5. Police issued a missing person alert and filed a warrant for Esterly’s arrest.

Her mother said she came home and discovered Amy’s passport missing along with some cash.

Luu said she had discovered text messages between Esterly and her daughter on Amy’s phone, which appeared to show they were in a romantic relationship.

Amy’s younger brother and mother earlier said that the two families met at church years ago and Amy was friends with one of Esterly’s daughters. They have even had Esterly over for dinner.

School records showed Esterly signed Amy out of school 10 times between November 13 and February 9 without her parents’ permission, police said.

The girl had altered her student records to list Esterly as her stepfather,

Esterly’s wife Stacey had earlier pleaded for the teen and Kevin Esterly to return home from Mexico. Through a lawyer, Stacey Esterly said she and her husband have been fighting constantly since the summer over his apparent relationship with Amy.

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