Man Arrested in Daviess County Human Trafficking Case

Police point to a growing trend of social media interaction as having played a role in this and other abductions.

Tonight at 9--- a daviess county teen - brushing up against a disgusting reality - nearly becoming - a victim of human trafficking.

Thankfully -- police intervened.

They spent hours searching -- with the trail leading them to southern parts of the county.

Catching a tennessee man -- attempting the unthinkable.

44news reporter valerie lyons is in owensboro --- tonight - where the cell doors ---just locked on the suspect - kentucky state police tell me they found the missing daviess county teen with the man who abducted her at this circle k about 14 hours after her mother reported her missing.

This is a pedophile's playground?

It's a parent's worst nightmare--your child caught up in the web of human trafficking.

That's what happened to a 15 year old teen from philpot when she went missing monday morning.

Kentucky state police -- launching an investigation-- leading them across western kentucky--before bringing them -- right back to where they started.

The missing girl -- found that night-- in southern daviess county.

K-s-p found her with 40-year-old steven hargrove.

The tennessee man now charged-- with promoting human trafficking.?there more people now using more screen time, which means the greater opportunity for these pedophiles and these perpetrators to get our youth?

One philpot mom says-- she knows how dangerous social media can be--and just how easily kids can fall victim to online predators.?i feel like even being in a small town in a small community, the internet brings the whole world to you and all the scary things that come with the big world to your small children and it terrifying?

And while incidents like this aren't really heard of in the community-- -- the threat is very real.?for probably two or three, four years, ie been teaching many parents in this area the dangers of social media.

And this right here should hit home for many of our parents?

Now kentucky state police tell me the investigation is still ongoing.

Reporting in philpot-- valerie lyons--44news.