NORWOOD, N.C. — The family of the 16-year-old Stanly County girl abducted from school last week is sharing a message, hoping their story will serve as a warning to other families to be hypervigilant about strangers on social media.
On Thursday, May 11, an Amber Alert alarmed phones across the nation for a missing teenager from Stanly County. She’s now back home safe and her suspected abductor is behind bars.
"The more I realize and allow myself to realize that I'm home and I'm safe, the more comfortable I become," the teen told WCNC Charlotte reporter Julia Kauffman. "Like, sleeping has become a little bit more easier now."
The North Carolina teen is happy to be back home after a scary journey to Montgomery, Alabama. Investigators said 39-year-old Duane Bartlett took her there after picking her up from her Stanly County high school Thursday morning.
Her parents discovered during the investigation the two met online and had been talking for two years.
"I was shocked to learn how many young girls talk to people online, especially girls with low self-esteem that have been bullied that feel like they don't have a village," mom Michele said. "Child predators feed on that, and that's where it stemmed from."
Michele realized her daughter was missing when she went to pick her up from school.
"There is nothing like walking into school and your child not walking out," she added.
Law enforcement efforts across state lines led to finding Stephani less than 12 hours after she was reported missing and arresting Bartlett at his house.
The situation highlights the scariness of social media; parents not knowing who their child is talking to on the other side of the screen.
"She has TikTok and she doesn't have the Snapchat, she doesn't have any of that," Michele said. "So, I thought she was safe and I was naïve."
The family is warning parents to check their children’s phones and make sure they’re not talking to strangers.
"You’ve got to monitor and that's active monitoring," said Hannah Arrowood, executive director of Present Age Ministries.
The nonprofit works to combat human trafficking in the Charlotte area. Arrowood told WCNC Charlotte predators aren’t just on traditional social media platforms either. They're also in gaming, streaming, and anything with a chat room.
Arrowood suggested parents not allow their teenagers to have their phones overnight. She added having tough conversations with them about their social media activity is a must.
"It's asking them 'Has anybody ever reached out to you that made you feel uncomfortable?' 'Has anybody ever asked for you to send naked pictures?' 'Has anybody ever asked for you to meet that you didn't really know?'"
The family said they’re having those conversations, are in counseling, and taking things one day at a time.
"There are other mothers that are not as blessed as I am right now," Michele said. "So to the predators, all I have to say is your day is coming. That's between you and God."
Her daughter added, "We're trying not to let it be such a downer situation because it did turn out better than it could have."
The Stanly County Sheriff’s Office has added a new charge for Bartlett: human trafficking with a child victim. He was previously charged with felony abduction of a child.
WCNC Charlotte has learned a woman who likely lives with Bartlett is also being charged in this case with felony conspiracy to commit human trafficking. There is a warrant out for her arrest. Authorities note she was in the car when Bartlett picked the teen up from school.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.