Police, parents of missing teen fear she may be victim of sex traffickers

MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. — UPDATE: KIRO 7''s Jessica learned Friday Aug. 3 that 16-year-old Alesha Lopan has been located and is safe.

Previous Coverage: 

Parents in Maple Valley are desperately looking for their teenage daughter who has been missing for weeks.

Investigators said she could be at risk for sex trafficking.

Her parents are concerned about the bizarre circumstances surrounding their daughter's disappearance.  It started with her telling her parents she was going to a lake down the street, but she hasn’t been seen since.

“She's just never fallen off the grid like this,” said the girl’s father, John Lopan.

Alesha Lopan’s parents haven’t heard from her in more than two weeks. The 16-year-old’s last words are etched into her mother’s mind.

“’Mom, I’m going to the lake,’ and I said, ‘Have a good time pumpkin, see you when you get home,’” said Alesha’s mother, Beverly Attix.  “That's the last I’ve seen of her.”

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Attix said she wasn’t really worried at first because her daughter is known for running away.

“This isn’t the same. At all,” said Attix.

The Major Crimes Unit with the King County Sheriff’s Office agrees, saying this time, there’s reason to be concerned for the teen’s safety.

“I just want her to come home,” said Attix.

Not only did Alesha leave her phone, detectives say she hasn’t been communicating with any friends.

Attix feels like time is running out.

“Anything could happen to her. She could fall into the wrong hands and we'll never see her again,” she said.

Her parents’ fear is heightened because police say a teen in Bonney Lake was kidnapped for weeks by suspected sex traffickers in May. They’re concerned that their daughter could be in a similar situation.

The Sheriff’s Office said it’s much more common than people think.

“We already have that fear,” said John Lopan.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children now has Alesha on its radar.

As detectives scour the web for clues and track down tips, Alesha’s parents say the waiting is the hardest part.

“It’s just been way too many days that nobody has seen or heard from her and it’s getting kind of scary,” said Attix.

Detectives said they last heard she may be in the Everett area and thought she was finally showing signs of activity on social media but her parents fear it's someone else.

Anyone with information asked to call the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Cox Media Group