Missing teen may have been lured away by someone she met online, officials say

ATLANTA (WGCL/Gray News) – A 16-year-old girl from Atlanta is missing, and police said she may have been lured away by someone she met online.

Kaylee Jones, 16, hasn’t been seen in a week. Her parents, along with authorities, believe she may be with someone she met through an app.

Daniel and Brenda Jones, Kaylee’s parents, are begging for their daughter’s return.

“It’s gut-wrenching, knowing she’s out there somewhere and not knowing where she’s at. All the worst thoughts come to our minds,” Daniel Jones said. “She is our daughter, and we desperately want her back. She is a big, huge part of us.”

Kaylee Jones is autistic, and because of that, her parents are afraid their daughter was more vulnerable to online predators.

Daniel Jones said his wife discovered Kaylee was talking to four or five males through Snapchat. It’s unclear if they were adults or also minors.

The parents said they took Kaylee’s phone away Monday, and by Wednesday morning Kaylee was gone. Without her phone with her, it’s making it more difficult to track Kaylee down.

“You never think it’s going to happen to you. I tried to … reinforce this in her mind that she cannot trust everybody that she sees,” Daniel Jones said.

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said they are reviewing Kaylee’s social media records and following up with the last people she had contact with. They said they are following all tips and leads with assistance from the missing persons unit.

Kaylee is described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall and approximately 135 pounds. She may be wearing black sneakers or Converse shoes. She may also have a dark blue backpack with her that has a horse on the front with the word “Mazi” or “Kaylee” on it.

Anyone with information is asked to contact investigator Kim Biggs at 770-830-5916 or at kbiggs@carrollsheriff.com.

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