In the meantime, it was discovered the 17-year-old was labeled as a ‘runaway’ out of northwest Missouri. A label Palmquist wishes would stop being attached to missing children.
“I think it’s important that we stop making that distinction where a child left voluntarily or not, they’re still missing, they’re still in danger, and they’re still very likely to be approached by a sex trafficker,” she said.
During the investigation, Palmquist and her unit identified the man selling the teenager as Steven Stone, 31, of Lithonia, Georgia. On June 8, he pleaded guilty to three counts of trafficking of persons of sexual servitude and was sentenced to 25 years, with 13 years to be served in prison.
As the unit continued to investigate, they identified nine men accused of buying the teenager, who all but one have recently been convicted.