Over two days of talking, Mr Brown teased information out of him and learned he had taken his girlfriend Alyssa, 28, and Yvette to Arizona, where they were staying in cheap hotels.

He eventually pinpointed their exact location by offering to order a pizza to his room at a motel and even convinced Mr Henley to hand over the room number.

But instead of the food showing up at the door, police did. Yvette was recovered and is now living safely with her grandparents in California, who have custody.

Mr Brown, of Staines, Surrey, said: "I spend my life on the internet but little did I know that talking to random people would lead to me finding this little girl.

"She is loving where she is now. I cried so much when I saw the photos of her with her grandparents. The police had been trying to find her since May and within two days I got his exact location.

"It's a really weird set of circumstances that fell into place. Now she is in the best place possible for her.

"I can't wrap my head around it. It's life-changing for me. I had all these worries but now they all seem meaningless. I have so much more to be happy about now."