A Legal Adult
TRUE STORY
A Legal Adult
Legal on Paper, Easy Prey Online
My 19-year-old niece Aly disappeared. Car, keys, cell phone, and laptop were abandoned at the airport. Law enforcement couldn’t differentiate a legitimate trip from an abduction, because she was . . . a legal adult.
On December 10, my presumably happy niece left the country with a person she’d met online but had never met in person. Multiple airline tickets to multiple destinations were purchased in her name. Airport security cameras outbound and inbound showed a third traveler.
Multiple sources confirmed that Aly arrived in Canada, which narrowed our search to 3.8 million square miles with multiple points of entry.
We learned that laws designed to protect young people will enable traffickers with almost unfettered permission to travel below the radar with 18- to 20-year-olds. Aly’s young adult status created a barrier separating her from her parents, while deepening her relationship with a potential trafficker.
Maneuvering the legal systems of two countries became as much a challenge as finding one 19-year-old in all of Canada.
A representative from one trafficking organization estimated Aly might fetch $100,000 because she looked much younger than her age.
Aly left a scar on her mother’s heart that will never leave.
ISBN 9781682358436
ISBN-10 1682358429
ISBN-13 9781682358436
Amazon Reviewer
“You will find Ms. Stone’s true account of her niece’s disappearance, and how her family, friends and many strangers helped in the search for her, a gripping page turner. Since the young lady had turned 19 when she was convinced to leave the country with a stranger she had only known online, she was a “Legal Adult”. This status works to the great advantage of the people who spend lots of time and money to lure young people into their clutches. Information abounds in the book — from how some of the scams work, how the predators use young people’s naivete against themselves, even how much money trafficking can generate. It’s also a refreshing read about people rising to a desperate occasion. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know how this world-wide scourge can impact someone, even someone you know.”
Amazon Reviewer
“This book meticulously details a timeline of events to rescue a 19-year-old legal adult. It is an eye-opening true story. Everyone should read it. What would you do if your young, legally adult child suddenly vanished? What if it were your niece or nephew? How would you find them? How would you rescue them? The book is thought-provoking and provides terrific ideas for finding and rescuing them. Read between the lines and you will also learn and discover ideas for preventing a need to find and rescue them. As a grandparent, I am thankful for this book and the important difference I pray it makes in all who read it. I thank God for books like this one.”
Amazon Reviewer
“The story starts abruptly, as that’s how the news came to Donna- out of nowhere. Her life is flipped upside down when her niece becomes missing. Possibly human trafficking— but there’s very little the authorities can do because her niece is 19 and left without being forced. Feverishly trying to finding answers on their own, navigating thru a myriad of possibilities not to mention the added challenge of Covid times, Donna and her squad take matters into their own hands and head to Canada to find her niece.
An important read for young adults and parents of young adults. It takes a day to read — Read and pass along. Never know when you’ll need this information.”