Texas authorities say a 12-year-old Houston girl who went missing for more than a week with her 27-year-old kidnapping suspect was using a dating app called Tagged.
The girl was reported missing around 1:40 a.m. on February 22 after she was seen getting into a car in the 7700 block of Water Chase Drive in Missouri City, Texas.
On March 1, Columbus police were notified that a suspect may be in the city and eventually located Sarterion Preston and attempted to take him into custody for “possession of a missing juvenile.” ” Columbus Police said in a press release.
“Preston attempted to flee from police custody, but was captured and arrested,” police said in a statement. The suspect was charged with evading arrest and taken to the Colorado County Jail. Authorities are eyeing additional charges pending an FBI investigation into the girl’s disappearance.
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Police in Columbus, Texas, located Sarterion Preston on March 1 and “attempted to take him into custody” for “possession of a missing juvenile.” (Columbus PD)
Tagged, a dating app for people 17 and older, is owned by Meet Group, the dating app network company behind MeetMe, hi5, LOVOO, Growr, and Skout.
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“We were very saddened to hear this news.” [the girl’s] “Nothing is more important to us than the safety and well-being of the communities that use our platform every day,” Meat Group told Fox News Digital in a statement. Therefore, once we became aware of the situation, we proactively contacted Houston law enforcement and provided any assistance possible. ”
Meet Group says that Tagged’s policy “prohibits the use of minors” on the dating app, and that the company “uses both technology and manual analysis to identify individuals who misrepresent their age to register on our platform.” We are checking for sexual minors.”
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“When we become aware of an attempt to circumvent our processes, we thoroughly investigate reports of possible exploitation of minors or children,” the company added. “We have made significant investments in these efforts and, while we unfortunately know there is no way to ensure this process is completely foolproof, we continue to work hard to remain at the forefront of best-in-class safety practices. It is evolving into
Dr. John DeGarmo, founder and director of the Foster Care Institute, told Fox News Digital that if children aren’t getting enough love and attention at home, they turn to dating apps and other platforms to get attention. He said he relies on him a lot.
“I think all dating sites pose a risk to children,” DeGarmo said. “I know Tagged She has some sort of policy that doesn’t allow children under 17, but how many kids are like this girl here? There are thousands of kids on these sites. I think that there.”
“I think there are thousands of kids on these sites.”
DeGarmo added that sexual predators also try to groom minors on dating sites.
Child safety advocates said parents should regularly talk to their children about the dangers of dating apps and social media platforms in general that seek to hook up with minors. Parents should also monitor their children’s online activities, he said.
Dr. John DeGarmo, founder and director of the Foster Care Institute, told Fox News Digital that sexual predators are attempting to groom minors on dating sites. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
“Parents must be attentive to their children in many ways.…Parents must build strong and healthy relationships with their children so that they It can prevent them from looking elsewhere for relationships,” DeGarmo said, adding that children who have grown up in broken homes or households, or who lack a “loving parental figure,” are less likely to have social relationships. They will look for “what is missing in their life” in the media or on dating sites.
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“Existing research on how many teens use dating apps is limited,” Chris Perry, executive director of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, told FOX News Digital. “The risks and consequences of this use are limited,” he said.
“There is evidence that predators are targeting minors through social media apps, and that knowledge has led to some of the protections recommended in laws like the Kids Online Safety Act,” Perry said. Stated.
“We can reasonably expect dating apps to be similar, except that many of these apps assume users are at least 18 years of age. Many details are unknown, but this The incident (and many like it) is an example of why we need stronger apps: more information about how young people are using these apps, what risks exist, We need to understand what changes we can make to create a safe online experience.”
