Florida authorities reported a teenager and pre-teen missing on Thursday (April 6) after the two skipped town in a stolen vehicle to meet an online predator in Louisiana.
According to WGFL, 12-year-old Jade Gregory stole her dad’s truck Thursday morning to pick up her 14-year-old friend, Khloe Larsen, to travel to Louisiana to meet an online person.
“Whether or not they were trying to lure them out there…either way, they were going out there to meet this person, Union County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Lyn Williams said.
Police received a call around 6 a.m. from Gregory’s mother about her missing 12-year-old daughter and the stolen vehicle.
Police acted by sending out “Missing Person” alerts for the girls. Since they were crossing state lines, UCSO utilized electronic billboards in surrounding states like Alabama and Louisiana, posting their pictures on them.
Gregory and Larsen spotted their photos during a news segment in a store the same day they went missing and decided to turn themselves into an Alabama police station.
Police returned the two Lake Butler girls to their families safely. UCSO sent another alert, informing everyone that the missing children were located.
“We have canceled our active missing children alert!!! Jade Gregory and Khloe Larsen have been located safe in Bayou La Batre, Alabama,” the alert read. “Many thanks to the multiple agencies involved throughout Florida, Alabama and Louisiana to include the F.B.I. and FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement). Thank you for all the tips and information received.”
Law enforcement hopes this incident will show parents the importance of informing children about the dangers lurking online and on social media. They will be investigating the online person.
For more information on how to teach children about online dangers, from cyberbullying and online predators to pornography and obscene language, visit the Goodwill Community Foundation site. The site also gives warnings about the risks of excessive computer usage.
