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R’Kayla Briggs, an 11-year-old girl who went missing on December 13, 2022, was found alive by police on Friday, December 16. Authorities believe that Briggs was at risk of becoming a victim of human trafficking.
Details regarding where she was found or if she had company, have not been released yet. Law enforcement officials have stated that they will reveal more details about the case after further investigation.
Before police received any update on the location of the young girl, on Friday morning they mentioned that they believed Briggs was in danger. Police recovered her safely, however, they have not confirmed whether it was a potential case of human trafficking or not.
R’Kayla Briggs was reportedly planning to leave her home with an adult she met on Instagram
R’Kayla Briggs is an 11-year-old African American girl and is a resident of Jonesboro. On Tuesday, December 13, 2022, R’Kayla Briggs was reported missing after she allegedly left her Jonesboro home at about 3.39 pm local time. She reportedly left without the permission or knowledge of the family and was carrying a backpack.
R’Kayla’s family reported that she was not answering her phone, and had deleted her social media accounts as well.
Her family told police that she was planning to leave with a male adult (22), whom she met online a couple of days ago. The male's identity is not clear.
According to the police:
“Upon arrival, officers learned R’Kayla Briggs left at 3:39 p.m. through the backdoor without permission with a packed bag. Family members of R’Kayla Briggs stated that they believe she is with an adult male. Family members believe R’Kayla Briggs has been planning to leave with this person for some time.”
Police also believed that R’Kayla Briggs was in potential danger of becoming a victim of human trafficking. However, since she was located, they have not confirmed whether she was a victim of trafficking or not.
Julia Isaac, a spokesperson for Clayton County police, said that they did not have details about who was possibly with R’Kayla. The adult male has been considered a prime suspect in the disappearance of the 11-year-old. As per Fox News Digital, Julia Isaac said:
“We don't know what is going on, we don't know what this person is doing to her. Therefore, we believe she’s in danger.”
Isaac further added that the involvement of the public was hindering the investigation. She said:
“We are asking the public to please ask law enforcement to investigate this case because we have had multiple parties interfere with the investigation of this case.”
While looking for the Georgia girl, police stated:
“Based on the circumstances surrounding R’Kayla Briggs, we believe she may be in danger.”
Speaking about the adult male who R’Kayla supposedly met on Instagram, Isaac said:
“We don’t know the gender; we don’t know the age. We do not know what this person looks like. We have investigated all of the leads that the family has given us and it has not panned out.”
R’Kayla’s parents believe that the male adult with whom the youngster was planning to leave was a 22-year-old man from Texas. Kenicia Moss, Briggs’ parent said:
“Bring her back. We are asking you to bring her back because we are not going to stop.”
Authorities raise awareness among parents regarding children’s activity on the internet
Police tracked down the young girl on Friday afternoon. However, no additional details have been revealed yet. It has also not been confirmed whether any arrests have been made in the case.
According to the Clayton County Police Department, many agencies and law enforcement officials have been working on the case. When Briggs went missing, she was wearing a gray tank top, a hoodie, and blue jeans along with black tights underneath.
Authorities have tried to warn parents and asked them to be careful about what their children are doing online. Spokesperson Julia Isaac mentioned:
“Technology is ever-advancing, ever-developing new programs, new apps. So, one of the things to be aware of is what your child is doing on the phone, and what apps they’re involved in or playing. Some of these games do have chats. Just be careful.”
When the investigation began, cops assumed that R’Kayla had possibly traveled to Texas. However, Isaac mentioned that she was more likely to be in Georgia.
Before she was brought to safety, netizens flooded social media platforms like Twitter, posting photos of the Georgia girl and wishing for her safe return.
Authorities are still carefully investigating the case to unearth further details about her disappearance and to find the suspect.
