Texas man arrested in connection to 12-year-old who went missing after getting into strange truck in the middle of the night



Texas police said they recovered a 12-year-old missing girl a week after she was reported getting into a stranger's truck in the middle of the night.

27-year-old Sirterryon Preston was arrested for allegedly trying to run away from police after they found him with the missing girl in Columbus, Texas, about 70 miles away from her home in Missouri City.

The girl had been seen last on Feb. 22, when her neighbor's surveillance camera recorded her getting into a dark-colored Dodge Ram truck on Waterchase Drive at about 1:40 a.m.

Her mother said that she had never run away before and that she didn't know if she got into the truck knowingly or if she was coerced.

On Friday, at about 12:40 p.m., Columbus police said they were alerted to the possible presence of the missing girl at a Shell gas station and allegedly found Preston with her. When they tried to detain him, he attempted to flee, but police were able to capture him.

Preston was booked into the Colorado County Detention Facility on a charge of evading arrest. Police said that other charges are being considered pending an investigation by the FBI.

The girl was taken to the Texas Children's Hospital for an evaluation. The Houston Police Department said they are afraid that the girl was trafficked in the time she was missing.

Police issued an AMBER alert days after she was first reported missing after obtaining information that led them to believe she was in danger. Her family said they were upset the alert wasn't issued earlier.

KHOU-TV reported that the girl's family was relieved to hear she had been found and gathered together on the front yard of the home to sing "He's an On-Time God" together.

Clara Edwards, a neighbor of the family, spoke to KHOU.

"I didn’t even ask where, when or anything as long as they found her that was so exciting," she said. "And I get to sleep tonight without waking up with her on my mind."

Police said that the girl might have been on a social media app named "Tagged," which is a dating and meeting application meant only for adults.

Jennifer Hill of the Children's Assessment Center in Houston said that parents have to be diligent in protecting their children from predators online.

"A lot of times it can even be through schools themselves... it's something that we have to worry about every day and have open communication with our children about because we want to make sure that they know those dangers rather than just encountering them," said Hill.

“So unlike trafficking a drug, for example, children are able to be used over and over again when they're sold for sex. So in that way, it can be a lot more profitable than selling drugs that are only used one time," she added.

Here's a local news report about the incident:

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Texas state-funded shelter meant to help female victims of sex trafficking was revictimizing them, according to federal judge



A federal judge said in an emergency hearing Thursday that employees of a state-funded shelter meant to help female victims of sex trafficking were revictimizing them.

An employee of The Refuge Ranch in Bastrop, Texas, was accused of selling inappropriate photographs of the two children. That money was allegedly used to buy illegal drugs and alcohol that were given to the children.

A statement from The Refuge said that when they were alerted about the actions of that employee by two other employees on Jan. 24, they terminated the accused employee and contacted law enforcement authorities.

But the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is investigating further allegations of whether other employees of the organization also participated in the abuse of the children.

After the Jan. 24 accusations, the DFPS received accusations of human trafficking by eight victims at the facility.

As many as nine employees are accused of victimizing seven children at The Refuge, according to the Texas Tribune. The children reportedly ranged from age 11 to 17.

Additionally, the DFPS is being accused of allowing the trafficking victims to stay at The Refuge for five weeks after the first documented report of sexual abuse.

Nine of the children who were at the facility at the time have been removed.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said in a statement Thursday that the Texas Rangers would investigate the heinous charges.

“The reports of child sex trafficking at The Refuge in Bastrop are abhorrent,” said Abbott. “Child abuse of any kind won’t be tolerated in the state of Texas, and we are committed to ensuring these despicable perpetrators are brought to justice and punished to the fullest extent of the law. No child should ever suffer the atrocities of trafficking. I expect a thorough and prompt investigation by the Texas Rangers into these horrific crimes.”

One former employee has been arrested and more arrests are expected.

Here's a local news report about the accusations:

Bastrop facility under investigation for human traffickingwww.youtube.com