The 15-year-old, named as Marvin K, was found in German town Recklinghausen wearing the same filthy clothes he went missing in.
Neighbours in the town, about 60 miles north of Cologne, said they had not seen the teenager but had occasionally heard the screams of a man coming from the flat.
Cops were last night holding a 44-year-old unemployed handyman called Lars H on suspicion of sharing images of child abuse.
They said there were no signs that Marvin had been held by force.
At the time he went missing he was in local authority care.
His mother Manuela, 53, said: ‘He held on to me really tightly and he began to tremble.
“He said ‘Mummy, take me home. I was locked away for two and a half years and I couldn’t get any fresh air’.
“We both cried. He took my hand and wouldn’t let go.
“I always said he was either dead or somewhere he could not get in touch with me.
“I had pictured to myself for two and a half years how it would be to see him again.”
Marvin was 13 when he went missing after being taken into a nearby care home after the death of his father.
He said goodbye to his carers before leaving to meet friends on June 11, 2017 in the town centre.
He sent a final WhatsApp message at 11.37am and before his phone was permanently switched off.
Police had been prepared to give up. In July he was mentioned on on Aktenzeichen XY, the German equivalent of CrimeWatch, in an appeal for information.
Source The Sun
