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Parents Fear Missing Georgia Teen With Special Needs May Be Sex Trafficking Victim
Brenda and Daniel Jones say that their 16-year-old daughter, Kaylee Jones, is autistic, and that her condition left her vulnerable to online predators who may have lured her away from home.
The parents of a missing teen in Georgia fear their daughter may be a victim of sex trafficking.
Kaylee Jones, 16, was last seen near Whooping Creek Church Road in Carrollton, Georgia, on June 14, according to a release from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. Despite “working diligently around the clock,” investigators say they are not close to finding the teen, who requires medical care.
Parents Daniel and Brenda Jones fear their daughter, who is autistic, may have fallen prey to sex traffickers after meeting internet users with ill-intent, according to CBS Atlanta affiliate WGCL-TV.
“My wife found she was talking to four or five guys via Snapchat,” said Mr. Jones.
The parents allegedly took their daughter’s phone away two days before she disappeared. According to Fox Atlanta affiliate WAGA-TV, the Jones said Kaylee was “susceptible” to what they called “online grooming.”
“They prey on these kids, and it’s sickening, but it’s a reality,” Mr. Jones said of online predators, per WGCL. “And all we can do as parents is train our kids.”
Kaylee’s parents said “good night” to their daughter on the evening of June 14, and found her bed empty the next morning, they told Fox reporters.
Carroll County officials say investigators are keeping busy by “reviewing data from Kaylee’s electronic devices” and have been “in contact with those she last had contact with on those devices.”
In an update on June 20, the sheriff’s office said there were many unknowns in the case, such as where Kaylee might have been headed, what she was wearing, and who could have possibly accompanied her. They did, however, say that Kaylee “could possibly be with someone she has met through certain apps online.”
Oxygen.com reached out to the sheriff’s office to ask for an update but did not receive an immediate response.
“It’s gut-wrenching, knowing she’s out there somewhere and not knowing where she’s at,” said Kaylee’s father. “All the worst thoughts come to our minds. She is our daughter, and we desperately want her back. She is a big, huge part of us.”
Kaylee is listed as 5’8”, weighing about 135 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes and may have been carrying a dark blue book bag with a horse on the front. The bag possibly contains the words “Mazi” or “Kaylee.” Relatives say she may have been wearing black tennis shoes or Converse footwear.
Carroll County officials say she is without a vehicle or a phone.
“We continue to receive tips and possible sightings, and none of those have been substantiated as of this time,” according to the sheriff’s office. “Please share and help bring Kaylee home; someone has seen her and knows where she is.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Investigator Kim Briggs at 1-770-830-5916 or e-mail her at kbiggs@carrollsheriff.com.
