The story of a pastor made national news after he was arrested and charged for aiding in the kidnapping of a little girl. But this particular kidnapping charge stems from a child custody dispute between two women.

The two women were in a civil union and had a daughter together nearly 10 years ago. But when the union was dissolved two years later, a custody dispute followed to determine which woman would get custody of the little girl. But in 2009, one woman disappeared with the daughter and authorities began searching for the two of them.

Because the woman disappeared with the daughter in the middle of a custody dispute, her action is considered an international parental kidnapping. The FBI investigation of the disappearance led authorities to the pastor.

Authorities found emails and communications that discuss the plans of the woman to leave the country with the girl. Conversations between the pastor, family and friends shared details about the woman's flight to Nicaragua and where she potentially could stay. According to the article, records also show that the credit card used to buy the plane tickets belonged to the pastor's mother-in-law.

There is also some dispute over whether an aid organization in Nicaragua helped the woman find places to stay. Currently, the FBI believes that the woman and her daughter are staying in a home in Nicaragua, though the home owner has not made any comments.

The exact location of the woman and her daughter are unknown. Most believe that she is still in Nicaragua, though that is not a certainty until more information is available. If the woman is found, she will likely be brought back to the States to face charges of international parental kidnapping. The pastor is also facing criminal charges for his alleged role in her disappearance.

Source: ABC News online, "Christian Network Implicated in Parental Kidnapping Involving Lesbian Partner," Jessica Hopper, 26 April 2011