OLYMPIA, Wash. — A child reported missing out of Mesa, Arizona in May has been found safe in Olympia.
On June 18, the U.S. Marshals received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that the child was potentially being sex trafficked within Washington state.
During the investigation, a U.S. Marshal discovered the child was at a 20-acre encampment in Olympia commonly referred to as “The Jungle,” an area that has gained notoriety for its crime rate and safety concerns.
On June 25, the U.S. Marshals and the Department of Corrections canvassed the area and found the juvenile.
She was handed over to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) for victim assistance.
It’s unclear how old the child was.
There were two teens reported missing out of Mesa, Arizona, back in May through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, though it’s unclear if either of them was the one found in Seattle.
“Protecting our nation’s children is of the highest importance,” said Donrien Stephens, Acting U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Washington. “The excellent investigative efforts, collaboration, and persistence of our local, state, and community partners led to the safe recovery of a youth with an elevated risk of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.”
The U.S. Marshals did not specify if the child was trafficked or abducted.
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