SEATTLE — A 30-year-old man has been charged with human trafficking and criminal sexual conduct after a 14-year-old girl who went missing out of Mount Vernon was found in Michigan.
According to the Mount Vernon Police Department (MVPD), the girl was last seen on Jan. 6. She was found in South Haven, Michigan on Wednesday, according to authorities in Michigan.
The suspect, Keith Daniel Freerksen, has been charged in Michigan with two counts of human trafficking of a minor for commercial sexual activity, one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of using a computer to commit a crime and one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes.
Freerksen is also expected to be charged in Washington state.
Freerksen made his first court appearance on Friday and was denied bond. He remains in custody.
After receiving a tip about Freerksen's identity, authorities were able to learn that the teen had used a rideshare service in the past, allegedly paid for by Freerksen. Because there are only so many rideshare services available in Mount Vernon, they were able to identify the specific ride they believed she had taken and further identify Freerksen.
Authorities said Freerksen drove to Washington on Jan. 3, picked up the teen Jan. 5 and drove her to Michigan. Freerksen spent 13 hours near Mount Vernon before driving back.
The missing teen's mother told KING 5 in mid-January that her daughter had been lured by an adult with bad intentions. She also said she believed her daughter had recently been video-chatting with a random man whom she met online. She worried that this person was not allowing her to call home.
Police have not yet confirmed how the two may have met, but the teen's mom suspects she had been using Omegle, a platform designed to match strangers for video chat sessions.
“This predator was able to use social media platforms to reach my child from across the country," the victim's mom said. "He was able to use these platforms to groom my child over an extended period of time. How many more children have to be victimized before these social media platforms are held to a higher standard? How many more families have to suffer, the way mine has? The lack of accountability, not only puts my child at risk for online predation but leaves all children at the mercy of those who seek them out online. This is a time for change.”
Omegle was shut down in November after it settled a multimillion-dollar lawsuit centered around child sexual exploitation. Its founder has admitted that some users have misused the platform to commit heinous crimes.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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