HSI Phoenix helps identify and locate sex-trafficked minors

Call 1-866-DHS-2-ICEReport Crime

PHOENIX, Ariz. — HSI Phoenix and other law enforcement agencies identified and located five minor sex trafficking victims as part of Operation Cross Country, a nationwide enforcement campaign. During the operation, authorities arrested one alleged trafficker and 31 additional subjects for allegedly attempting to have sexual contact with minors.

“These dedicated professionals who worked on this operation demonstrate honor, service and integrity,” said HSI Arizona Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown. “Many have dedicated their careers to keeping our communities safe, holding accountable those who exploit our most vulnerable, and seeking justice for victims of unthinkable crimes. HSI is proud to partner with federal, state, local and international law enforcement in furthering investigations into people who are knowingly and willingly exploiting children for their perverse desires.”

The nationwide initiative, in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, focused on identifying and locating sex trafficking victims. It also focuses on investigating criminal enterprises and people involved in child sex and human trafficking. Law enforcement agencies conducted targeted operations to identify and apprehend offenders, dismantle criminal networks and prevent further harm to victims. Identified suspects will be subject to additional investigation for potential charges.

The FBI’s Greater Phoenix Area Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which conducted the operation, comprises officers from the Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix and Tempe police departments. The task force received help from HSI special agents and Scottsdale and Surprise police.

Though Operation Cross Country is an annual national initiative, the Greater Phoenix Area Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force works with the Phoenix Police Department’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit throughout the year. With its leadership, the Phoenix Police HEAT Unit and the task force routinely collaborate on human trafficking operations with other law enforcement agencies across the greater Phoenix area.

HSI, a leader in the global fight against human trafficking and child exploitation, encourages the public to help identify and recover victims and bring perpetrators to justice.

HSI special agents utilize their broad range of authority and international footprint to identify, investigate and disrupt domestic and transnational criminal organizations engaged in human trafficking. Further, HSI special agents work closely with the HSI’s Victim Assistance Program to ensure that human trafficking and child exploitation victims are afforded their rights and have access to the services to which they are entitled by law.

You may report crimes, suspicious activity and suspected human trafficking to the HSI Tipline at 866-347-2423. You may also contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-THE-LOST to report suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children, or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 to connect human trafficking victims and survivors with critical support and services.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

Las Vegas Man Sentenced To Over 12 Years in Prison For Sex Trafficking Children While Visiting Metro-Detroit

For Immediate Release

U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan

DETROIT – A Las Vegas man who sex trafficked children in metro-Detroit while visiting the area in December 2020 was sentenced to 12 years and 6 months in prison, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Division.

Jquon Wroten, 31, pled guilty to two counts of sex trafficking of a minor in April 2023. Wroten was sentenced today by United States District Judge Bernard A. Friedman.

Law enforcement first began investigating Wroten while attempting to locate two minor females who had run away from the Lansing area in late 2020. A relative of one of the minors contacted law enforcement with information and expressed fears that the minors were being trafficked in the Detroit area. Law enforcement recovered the minors from a motel room in Southfield, Michigan in December 2020 and learned that Wroten had recruited the minors to work for him after meeting them in a local motel while he was in town. Wroten and an adult female associate took the minors to a local beauty supply store and bought items in an effort to make them look older. Wroten then set up a commercial sex date for the minors at a residence in metro-Detroit and drove the minors to the date, where they engaged in commercial sex with multiple men. Wroten took proceeds from the sex trafficking for his own use.

“The sex trafficking of children is a hideous crime that preys on some of our district’s most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “The court’s sentence today is a just punishment and will prevent the defendant from further victimizing children here or anywhere else.”

“Protecting young people from dangerous predators is a top priority for the FBI in Michigan and across the country,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Mr. Wroten in an example of how manipulative these criminals can be. I commend the work of the special agents, deputies, police officers, and prosecutors who worked to make our children safer by ensuring he remains behind bars for a significant period of time.”

This case was investigated by the FBI Detroit Division, FBI Las Vegas Division, FBI San Francisco Division, SEMTEC (Southwest Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes), and State of Michigan Children’s Protective Services.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Sweeney Bean and Eaton Brown.

Wagner Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Victims of Child Sexual Abuse

Help Find Missing Children. Let's Put An End To Child Abuse And Exploitation... Care.

The legislation enhances reporting of online child exploitation and requires online platforms to report child sex trafficking

Washington, D.C.  –  Today, Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), along with Representatives Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Zach Nunn (R-IA), released the following statement after she introduced the Child Online Safety Modernization Act:

“In 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 32 million reports of online child sexual abuse material, sometimes called ‘child pornography.’ That’s equal to approximately 87,600 reports per day of images and videos of children being sexually exploited. My legislation, the Child Online Safety Modernization Act, will advance common-sense, bipartisan, and bicameral solutions to help law enforcement investigate these cases, rescue vulnerable children, and apprehend online predators,” said Wagner.  “Additionally, this bill will make it clear that images and videos of children being raped is not ‘pornography,’ it is sexual abuse of a child. America cannot, and should not, accept a reality where innocent children are sexually exploited for financial gain. Congress must do everything in its power to end this scourge against humanity, and my legislation will help protect innocent victims from some of the most destructive criminals in our society.”

“In today’s modern society, it has become increasingly important to hold accountable those individuals that would sexually coerce and extort our children. As elected officials, there is no greater responsibility than ensuring we are keeping our children safe,’ said Garcia. “This is why I’m proud to co-lead the Online Safety Modernization Act of 2023 because it is a step toward preventing online sexual abuse from occurring in our society today.”

“As a father with six young children, there’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do to protect them,” said Nunn. “The appalling number of reports of sexual abuse to the CyberTipline indicate that we have a crisis on our hands. We must take action to stop this horrific abuse and ensure victims get justice.” 

“It is troubling and heartbreaking to see the rise of child sexual exploitation on the internet and we must do everything we can to save these children by supporting the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as fully as we can,” said Bacon. “By requiring reports from online platforms to provide more information to help law enforcement identify and locate the child victim and the individual who posted the image, we can save more children from a life of sexual trauma.”

Read the one-pager on this legislation here.

Supporting Organizations

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

“NCMEC thanks Representatives Ann Wagner and Sylvia Garcia for their leadership in online child safety and the introduction of the Child Online Safety Modernization Act (COSMA).

“COSMA addresses the significant impact of child sex trafficking and enticement of children for sexual abuse by requiring online platforms to report these crimes to the CyberTipline. The bill also extends the preservation of CyberTipline data from 90 days to one year and ensures reports will be more actionable, which will help law enforcement safeguard victimized children. Lastly, COSMA provides a much-needed update to the criminal code by replacing the term "child pornography" with "child sexual abuse material" to more accurately reflect the rape and sexual abuse of children that is depicted in these images.

“NCMEC is proud to support this important legislation and applauds Representatives Wagner and Garcia for their continued dedication to the safety of our children.”  - Michelle DeLaune – President & CEO – NCMEC

National Children’s Alliance

“We cheer the introduction of COSMA by longtime Congressional champion for children, Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri, to modernize and fix many of the paths by which children exploited online might be saved from their abuse,” said Teresa Huizar, CEO of National Children’s Alliance, the national association of Children’s Advocacy Centers. “Child sexual abuse materials are exploding in volume as our systems for online reporting and holding offenders accountable are stretched past their limits. The important changes to the CyberTipline and enhanced reporting requirements, plus the changes to federal law forever eliminating the inaccurate and victim-blaming term ‘child pornography’ from our federal laws, make the passage of the act a critical step toward an internet that minimally protects our children. We thank Rep. Wagner for her ongoing bipartisan leadership on behalf of children around the country, online and off.”

Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)

 "Technology companies must effectively collaborate with law enforcement to address online sexual exploitation of children", said Stefan Turkheimer, Interim Vice President of Public Policy for the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network. "The Child Online Safety Modernization Act is a major step forward to ensure technology companies are doing their part to rescue victims and catch predators seen in child sexual abuse material that they host and show on their platforms.

International Justice Mission

“International Justice Mission (IJM) is pleased to support the Child Online Safety Modernization Act (COSMA). We are grateful for the leadership of Rep. Ann Wagner (R-TX) and Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) in introducing this much-needed legislation. This bill will enhance reporting and preservation requirements for technology companies to the CyberTipline, which is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).  In 2022, 89.3% of all CyberTipline reports were linked to potential offenders outside the U.S. and referred to law enforcement agencies in more than 140 countries. From IJM’s experience in training international law enforcement partners on CyberTipline investigations, it is clear that updates are desperately needed to the existing reporting framework. COSMA will help improve consistency, quality and timeliness in reports of suspected OSEC sent from electronic service providers to the CyberTipline. IJM’s 2020 study of livestreamed child sexual abuse in the Philippines found that victims were abused on average for two years prior to intervention, in part because of failures to detect, report or disrupt these crimes. These updated reporting requirements will help international law enforcement receive and respond to reports faster, helping to identify and remove more children from abuse sooner. IJM also supports COSMA’s increase in the period of time electronic service providers are required to keep content from reports submitted to the CyberTipline – from 90 days to 1 year. This critical change will give investigators much-needed time to conduct their important work.” – Nate King, Director of Congressional Affairs at International Justice Mission

Raven

"Today our children live and interact in an online environment. There are not enough reporting mechanisms, guidelines, and legislation to find victims and protect them. COSMA will do just that and more importantly ensure that the horrific victimization of children is described accurately as - child sexual abuse material.” – John Pizzuro, CEO of Raven

Ending Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children (OSEAC) Coalition

"Online sexual exploitation and abuse of children has increased exponentially since the COVID-19 pandemic", said the Ending Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children (OSEAC) Coalition. "In 2019, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline received over 16.8 million reports of suspected OSEAC. In just 3 years, that number has nearly doubled to over 32 million. The Child Online Safety Modernization Act is essential in ensuring that law enforcement has the necessary information to successfully investigate reports and identify child victims. We applaud Representatives Ann Wagner and Sylvia Garcia for their leadership on this important issue."

Missouri KidsFirst

“Online sexual exploitation is an issue of great concern to providers who serve victims of child abuse, including Missouri’s Child Advocacy Centers (CACs). While we know the presence of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) is becoming more frequent in child abuse investigations, reliable data has been a consistent challenge to the field. This can delay the system response by law enforcement and child protective services and limit access to victim services,” said Jessica Seitz, Executive Director of Missouri KidsFirst, the state’s network of CACs. “We thank Representative Wagner for introducing this legislation which will promote justice and healing to children who have been exploited.”

Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (MOCADSV)

“The Child Online Safety Modernization Act seeks to replace the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material” throughout U.S. federal statutes. Child victims depicted in such imagery have no consent and no control over their sexual exploitation, and U.S. federal law should accurately reflect this abuse. MOCADSV supports Representative Wagner’s efforts to increase online safety for children, and update federal statutes to accurately name this abuse.” – Matthew Huffman, Chief Public Affairs Officer.

Protect All Children from Trafficking (PACT)

"Our nation's laws have failed to catch up with technology and the internet. By holding online platforms accountable, The Child Online Safety Modernization Act is a step forward to ensuring all children can access the internet free from exploitation and abuse." – Alexander Delgado, Director of Public Policy.

National Center on Sexual Exploitation

"It's time for the House of Representatives to act to protect children online. COSMA provisions mainly match bills already approved by Senate Judiciary Committee. Let's see a Child Protection Congress this year!” - Dawn Hawkins, CEO, National Center on Sexual Exploitation.

‘We have the internet, it’s not going away’: How to keep children safe online

Natalie Faas News10NBC

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Spencerport superintendent is encouraging families to ask their children about their online activity after a middle school teacher was arrested on child pornography charges. Ian Milam of Pittsford is a sixth grade math teacher at Cosgrove Middle School in Spencerport. 

Greece Police started investigating him back on May 3. Prosecutors say Milam posed as a high school student on Snapchat and sent and received sexually explicit photos and videos with young girls. 

Since that arrest News10NBC has been hearing from parents rattled by the disturbing allegations.

Parents are wondering what they can do to keep their children safe. News10NBC’s Natalie Faas spoke with the Bivona Child Advocacy Center on Wednesday to see what advice they could offer.

The people at Bivona deal with cases of child abuse in all forms. They are trained to teach both children and adults how to prevent, respond and react to abuse and how to stay safe in all environments.

Bivona’s outreach work is all about educating children and adults. The experts help kids learn how and when to tell a safe adult that they need help. They work with adults on how to react if their child tells them someone is hurting them, and what they should do. 

A major focus is on online safety. With social media constantly evolving, it can be hard to keep up. 

Bivona keeps an extensive database of child safety resources — like a list of apps that parents can use to monitor what their children are doing on their devices, and who they are interacting with. 

“Check your children’s phones, check your children’s devices on a regular basis,” explains Danielle Lyman-Torres, president and CEO of Bivona Child Advocacy. “Make sure you have some settings on there, some parental settings, especially for younger children to maybe block some content. The reality is that we have the internet, it’s not going away, and we are not going to be able to keep children from using it. But we need to be sure that we are being vigilant and checking.”

If you want to know more or need Bivona’s help, they can be reached at (585)935-7800 or click here for their website.

Man Accused Of Trying To Kidnap, Offering To Buy Child: Norwalk PD

Police said the man is accused of trying to remove a child from a parked car, then asking a woman if she wanted to sell the child for money.

RJ Scofield,Patch Staff

A man accused of trying to take a child out of a parked car in Norwalk, then offering to purchase the child for money, was arrested Sunday evening, according to police. (Al Branch/Patch)

NORWALK, CT — A man accused of trying to take a child out of a parked car in Norwalk, then offering to purchase the child for money, was arrested Sunday evening, according to police.

In a news release, Police Lt. Joe Dinho said officers were called to Bouton Street around 5:30 p.m. after receiving a report of a man trying to take a child out of a parked car.

A woman told police once she unbuckled the child's seatbelt in the back of the vehicle, an unknown man reached in and began to remove the child from the car, Dinho said.

When responding officers found a man that matched the description, he was slurring his words and appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance, police said. The man was then identified by the woman as the person who tried to take the child, Dinho said. 

Jose Domingo, 37, of Norwalk, was arrested and taken to police headquarters for processing, where he was found to have a substance that tested positive for cocaine in his possession, Dinho said.

Domingo was charged with risk of injury to a child, possession of controlled substance, second-degree breach of peace and second-degree kidnapping. He was held on a $150,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court later this month, according to Dinho.

For The Children...

 

By Brett Fletcher @TrinityMount

I urge The Congress, The Senate and all the people on The Hill - please, for the sake of Missing and Exploited Children stateside and worldwide: do not allow partisan blindness to steer you view of a global catastrophe - the sex trafficking of children. While bickering and fighting for partisan superiority takes priority over the well-being of the only innocent among us, children, this despicable crime yields the highest profits globally.

Do not take my word for it, look to the people and organizations that deal with this human tragedy on a daily basis: NCMEC, ICMEC, INTERPOL, International and national Law Enforcement, police departments, DOJ, DHS, FBI, as well as other child advocates and organizations who are sounding the alarm, and have been for years and years.

This must be a bipartisan concern, anything else is shameful and disgraceful. Listening to people who have a voice, failing to recognize the enormity of this issue is appalling and turning a deaf ear to the cries of children waiting to be rescued from the grips of pure evil. Open your heart, open your eyes and join the fight to rescue these children by all means possible. This is not a political problem... please stop treating it as if it were.

Brett Fletcher - Founder of Trinity Mount Ministries

https://www.TrinityMountMinistries.com

https://www.TrinityMount.Info

Photo: ECPAT-ICMEC | 103 Certificate | ICMEC

This Certificate of Completion is awarded to:

Brett Fletcher

to mark your successful completion of the course

ECPAT-ICMEC | 103: Agents of Change Tools for Frontline Workers to End Sexual Exploitation of Children.

Trinity Mount Ministries - NCMEC - Important Message for Law Enforcement

Santa Clara Police Department

The posters on this website with the NCMEC logo have been certified as noted below:

Case was entered into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database.

Waiver from parent, guardian or law enforcement agency giving permission to disseminate photo of missing child is on file at NCMEC.

Posters containing photos of adults labeled as an abductor are included only if a felony warrant was issued for the abductor and information about the abductor was entered into the NCIC Wanted Person File.

Some of the individuals pictured in NCMEC posters were reported missing when they were between the ages of 18 and 20. Law enforcement has entered these cases in the FBI National Crime Information Center database, pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 41307 (Suzanne's Law), and has asked NCMEC to disseminate the posters.

Law enforcement officers should:

Check with the appropriate law enforcement agency before taking action regarding a child or abductor depicted in any poster on this website not containing the NCMEC logo.

Be aware some international case posters listed on this website do not have criminal warrants attached, but have specifically-designed posters indicating they are subject to the process specified under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. For more information about this process contact NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST® (1-800-843-5678) when dialing within the United States and Canada.

NCMEC

https://www.missingkids.org/home

Trinity Mount Ministries 

https://www.TrinityMountMinistries.com

https://www.TrinityMount.Info

Meta vows to take action after report found Instagram’s algorithm promoted pedophilia content

 Steve Dent June 7, 2023, 6:33 am

Meta has set up an internal task force after reporters and researchers discovered its systems helped "connect and promote a vast network of accounts" devoted to underage-sex content, The Wall Street Journal has reported. Unlike forums and file transfer services, Instagram not only hosts such activities but promotes them via its algorithms. The company acknowledged enforcement problems and has taken actions including restricting its systems from recommending searches associated with sex abuse.

"Child exploitation is a horrific crime," Meta told the WSJ in a statement. "We’re continuously investigating ways to actively defend against this behavior."

Along with the task force, Meta told reporters that it is working on blocking child sexual abuse material (CSAM) networks and taking steps to change its systems. In the last two years, it has taken down 27 pedophile networks and is working on removing more. It has blocked thousands of related hashtags (with millions of posts for some) and took action to prevent its systems from recommending CSAM-related terms. It's also trying to stop its systems from connecting potential abusers with each other.

However, the report should be a wakeup call for Meta, the company's former security chief Alex Stamos told the WSJ. "That a team of three academics with limited access could find such a huge network should set off alarms at Meta," he said, noting that the company far better tools than outside investigators to map CSAM networks. "I hope the company reinvests in human investigators."

Academics from Stanford's Internet Observatory and UMass's Rescue Lab were able to quickly find "large-scale communities promoting criminal sex abuse," according to the report. After creating test users and viewing a single account, they were immediately hit with "suggested for you" recommendations of possible CSAM sellers and buyers, along with accounts linking to off-platform content sites. Following just several recommendations caused the test accounts to be inundated with sex-abuse content.

“Instagram is an onramp to places on the internet where there’s more explicit child sexual abuse,” said UMass Rescue Lab director Brian Levine. The Stanford group also found that CSAM content is "particularly severe" on the site. "The most important platform for these networks of buyers and sellers seems to be Instagram."

Meta said the company actively seeks to remove such users, having taken down 490,000 accounts violating child safety policies in January alone. Its internal statistics show that child exploitation appears in less than one in 10 thousand posts, it added.

However, until queried by reporters, Instagram was allowing users to search terms that its own systems know may be associated with CSAM material. A pop-up screen warned users that "These results may contain images of child sexual abuse" that can cause "extreme harm" to children. However, it then allowed users to either "Get resources" or "See results anyway." The latter option has now been disabled, but Meta didn't respond when the WSJ asked why it was allowed in the first place.

Furthermore, attempts by users to report child-sex content were often ignored by Instagram's algorithms. And Facebook's own efforts to exclude hashtags and terms were sometimes overridden by the systems, suggesting users try variations on the name. In testing, researchers found that viewing even one underage seller account caused the algorithm to recommend new ones. "Instagram’s suggestions were helping to rebuild the network that the platform’s own safety staff was in the middle of trying to dismantle."

A Meta spokesperson said it's currently building system to prevent such recommendations, but Levine said the time to act is now. "Pull the emergency brake. Are the economic benefits worth the harms to these children?" Engadget has reached out to Meta for comment.

Trinity Mount Ministries - NCMEC - Important Message for Law Enforcement

 San Jose Police Department 

The posters on this website with the NCMEC logo have been certified as noted below:

Case was entered into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database.

Waiver from parent, guardian or law enforcement agency giving permission to disseminate photo of missing child is on file at NCMEC.

Posters containing photos of adults labeled as an abductor are included only if a felony warrant was issued for the abductor and information about the abductor was entered into the NCIC Wanted Person File.

Some of the individuals pictured in NCMEC posters were reported missing when they were between the ages of 18 and 20. Law enforcement has entered these cases in the FBI National Crime Information Center database, pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 41307 (Suzanne's Law), and has asked NCMEC to disseminate the posters.

Law enforcement officers should:

Check with the appropriate law enforcement agency before taking action regarding a child or abductor depicted in any poster on this website not containing the NCMEC logo.

Be aware some international case posters listed on this website do not have criminal warrants attached, but have specifically-designed posters indicating they are subject to the process specified under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. For more information about this process contact NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST® (1-800-843-5678) when dialing within the United States and Canada.

NCMEC

https://www.missingkids.org/home

Trinity Mount Ministries 

https://www.TrinityMountMinistries.com

https://www.TrinityMount.Info

Girl Missing Over A Year Found In Closet Of Michigan Home

 

A U.S. Marshals fugitive team found the girl Tuesday in Port Huron, Michigan, a year after her foster family reported her missing.(Gray News, file)

By The Associated Press

PORT HURON, Mich. (AP) — A 14-year-old girl who was reported missing over a year ago by her foster family has been found hiding in the closet of a Michigan home, authorities said.

A U.S. Marshals fugitive team found the girl Tuesday in Port Huron, about 62 miles (99 kilometers) northeast of Detroit. Child Protective Services took her to a hospital, where it was discovered that she was pregnant.

“She was crying,” Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Watson told the Detroit Free Press. “She didn’t know where she was going to go. She was pretty terrified. And she was afraid of losing her baby.”

Authorities are pursuing parental kidnapping charges against the girl’s biological mother, who previously lost custody of her daughter, Watson said.

The mother is believed to have found the girl after she ran away and started moving the girl from house to house, authorities said. The girl has been reunited with her biological father.

State police contacted Watson on Tuesday seeking help in locating the girl. Tips led authorities to the home.

“The occupants refused us entry, wouldn’t talk to us or give us any information,” he told The Detroit News. “We ended up having to serve a search warrant to get inside.”

In 2017, a 15-year-old girl snuck out to meet a man and never came back...

Then, her parents made a shocking discovery.

Fatim Hemraj

Sophie Reeder Photo by Facebook

15-year-old Sophie Reeder was born to Patrick Reeder and Nicole Twist, who divorced when she was two. Loved ones described Sophie as an introvert who liked all types of music and mostly kept to herself.

At 12, Sophie began to exhibit behavioral issues. She often snuck out to take late-night walks without telling Nicole, and once ran away for a few days. Nicole set strict house rules but Sophie refused to follow them and decided to move in with her father, who was more relaxed.

After Sophie moved in with her father, she left Stranahan High School and began to take her classes online. Patrick bought her a cell phone and a laptop which gave her more freedom, however, Sophie continued to act out. In March 2017, Patrick told Sophie that he planned to send her to an all-girls boarding school. Two months later, Sophie vanished into thin air.

Sophie Reeder Photo by Dr Phil

On May 14, 2017, Sophie spent Mother’s Day with Nicole for what turned out to be the last time. Five days later, on May 19, Sophie snuck out of her father’s Fort Lauderdale, Florida home and never returned. Patrick spent two days calling and texting Sophie, expecting her to show up. When she didn’t, he called Nicole, and they reported Sophie missing on May 22.

According to Patrick, he last saw Sophie around 11:30 pm on May 19 when she was nervously pacing back and forth in the home. Patrick didn’t think much of it and told her to go to bed. When he checked Sophie's room at 9:30 am the next morning, he found a lit candle. Her bed was neatly made and her laptop was open. On her calendar, May 19 was crossed out with a big X.

Patrick and Nicole were able to access Sophie's laptop and they made a shocking discovery; she had been visiting sugar daddy websites and communicating with strange men. They also found $300 cash, a fake F/A, and a second secret cell phone in Sophie's bedroom. The phone only had 12 contacts. Phone records showed that she communicated with a specific man several times.

CCTV footage showed Sophie walking out of her Citrus Isle neighborhood around 11:30 pm. She wandered around for nearly two hours and was last seen on CCTV footage at 2:16 am a mile away from her home near Stranahan High School. The man that Sophie had been communicating with lived nearby in an apartment complex. Her phone last pinged in that area at 9 am on May 20, after which it was either turned off or died.

Sophie Reeder Photo by Sun Sentinel

Sophie was last seen wearing a black dress, brown fur coat, and red converse sneakers. She was holding either a black backpack or purse and had on white Beats by Dre headphones.

An investigation determined that the man Sophie likely went to see contacted a known H/T who lived in a unit in the same apartment complex shortly after her phone stopped pinging.

Two months later, the apartment, located on SW 11th Ct & SW 18th Ave, was searched. 25 cell phones, two computer towers, a journal, and a pair of white headphones were obtained, however, none of the items were linked to Sophie. Investigators believe that Sophie met with someone and intended to return home since she left a lit candle behind, along with $300 in cash. They believe she was groomed and is a victim of H/T.

Sophie Reeder Photo by NCMEC

The search for Sophie Reeder continues nearly six years later. She will turn 21 on February 19, 2023. She is biracial (half Black & half white), 5'1", and 110 lbs with curly brown hair and brown eyes.

If you have any information, contact Fort Lauderdale PD at 954-828-6677.

Harrowing details emerge as missing 14-year-old girl is found in a closet 400 miles from home a month after she vanished.

• Leah Chiappino

Police arrested 35-year-old David E. Roark on multiple charges after he allegedly abducted the child from Arkansas.

Roark also had outstanding warrants from Kentucky, according to cops.

His arrest comes after an investigation by the Exploited and Missing Child Unit and the White County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas.

The Wichita Police department were contacted by a White County sergeant after midnight on Wednesday.

The officer was looking for help in locating a 14-year-old girl who left home in early November and never returned, Officer Chad Ditch said.

A lead in the case came when the girl was seen with a man in a convenience store before leaving with him in a car.

White County investigators learned that the suspect was possibly in the Wichita area.

Following an investigation, police found out that Roark was likely staying at a nearby home.

He was arrested when he was seen leaving the house.

Officers then found the missing teen inside a closet.

Both the girl and Roark were interviewed by The Exploited and Missing Child Unit.

Roark is being held in jail on a $1.5million bond.

The U.S. Sun contacted the district attorney’s office for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication.