A Boise 16-year-old who was reported missing last week was located Monday in Texas after a four-day search.
A kidnapping suspect has been arrested, and law enforcement are looking for a second suspect, according to a Tuesday news release from the Boise Police Department.
The 16-year-old girl “packed a bag, left a note” and left home on Thursday, traveling through eastern Idaho and Utah on the way to Texas, according to the release. Police investigators discovered that the teen had been “communicating with a stranger online,” and partnered with the Houston Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit.
On Monday, the teen was located at a Houston residence with a 24-year-old suspect, who has been arrested on an Ada County warrant for suspicion of first-degree kidnapping and human sex trafficking of a child, the release said.
The teenager was receiving “support services” in Houston on Tuesday afternoon, and authorities were “working with her family to bring her home.”
For now, the detained suspect is in Houston.
“Additional federal charges are possible,” the release noted, saying that police are working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.
Law enforcement personnel are still looking for another suspect who they believe participated in bringing the teenager to Houston.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also assisted in the investigation.
“BPD reminds parents and caregivers to talk with children about safety online and what to do if they receive messages from online strangers,” the release said.
“Kidnapping and human trafficking are some of the most concerning dangers when it comes to online predators,” said Boise Police Special Victim’s Unit Lt. Josiah Ransom in the release. “Child enticement online is something we see far too often, and we encourage anyone who has been a victim to seek support and report it to law enforcement.”
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