Girl, 14, goes missing after meeting man she met online 'near sex traffic route'
A mum living near "the most heavily sex trafficked route in the world" has made an urgent appeal for help after her 14 year old daughter, Ella Jones, disappeared. Ella vanished from their home on January 5 after chatting with an older man online.
Sarah Merrill last saw her daughter on the evening of January 5 when she went to bed. The next morning, Ella was gone, her window was open, and she had left a note saying she loved her mum but had to leave. Ella's phone, keys and computer were also left behind. Sarah immediately spoke to Ella's friends, who gave conflicting information but mentioned that Ella had been chatting with a man in his 30s named Keith on Discord.
Ella's friends revealed that they started talking in October and one friend said, "Ella trusted him". Sarah also found out that Ella had met or was planning to meet Keith. When Sarah first discovered Ella was talking to an older person, she took away her daughter's phone to gain parental access. Despite this, Ella found her phone and continued texting through the TextNow app.
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The following morning, she reportedly could not be found (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children)Sarah thinks her daughter, who vanished from Mount Vernon, Washington State, US, is in "danger" and was groomed for several months. She said: "This isn't her. I think she is in danger and may be being held against her will. I am very worried. I don't have any proof that is just my gut. I can't make sense of any other option that this would be her choice to do this."
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Sarah also admitted to being "surprised" that her daughter left her phone behind. She explained that she didn't believe her daughter saw the person online in a "romantic way", instead, due to her kind nature, saw most people as "friends".
She voiced concerns about their location near the 1-5 Corridor, known for links to sex trafficking. Sarah stated her hope was that her daughter wasn't going to become a victim. She added: "We live in between Portland and Vancouver, BC near the I-5 Corridor, the most heavily sex trafficked route in the world. It is the highway that runs from Canada to Mexico - there are ports all over. I live an hour from the border."
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Ella has been missing from her home for three weeks (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children)She referred to the situation as "alarming" and mentioned that she filed a missing person's report with Mount Vernon PD on January 6. Sarah revealed her worries about the homelessness and drug problems in Washington State while explaining that she has been on the streets looking for information.
She said: "It's a big area it's overwhelming. Lots of unsafe and unsavoury neighbourhoods and lots of tips are coming in from those areas that are very concerning," she added. Ella is slim, 5ft 5 inches tall and weighs around 125 to 130 pounds. She has dark brown hair, brown eyes and "very distinct dimples."
The 14 year old was last seen wearing multicoloured pyjama bottoms, a black hoodie, matching black trainers and a large green backpack. Sarah said she took her yarn and crocheting needles, electric toothbrush and hairdryer.
Lieutenant Dave Shackleton, of Mount Vernon Police, said: "There have been lots of reports in these tips coming in but nothing yet that we have been able to use to find her. We are evaluating each one that comes in but can't give specifics on where the tips are coming but they're coming from various places."
He added: "It is going onto week three. Anytime, especially if there is a juvenile missing and they cease contact with family and friends that is very concerning."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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