Daughter returns home after reported missing; now involved in new investigation

A staff member from the Family Youth Justice Center says police told them a sex trafficking case involving the missing girl was opened last December.

Katelynn Ulrich and News 12 Staff

Oct 14, 2023, 1:36 AM

Updated 434 days ago

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Last week, News 12 reported on a missing 15-year-old missing girl. Her mother says after the story aired, her daughter came home. 
A staff member from the Family Youth Justice Center says police told them a sex trafficking case involving the missing girl was opened last December. 
Mother Tiona Laster filed a missing person's report for her daughter in March this year. Laster says the day before her daughter left and did not return, police brought her home for assault and prostitution charges.
The act of offering a minor for sex is sex trafficking. 
News 12 reached out to NYPD with questions about the investigation. A spokesperson provided us with this statement: “The NYPD takes sexual assault and rape cases extremely seriously and urges anyone who has been a victim to file a police report so we can perform a comprehensive investigation and offer support and services to survivors.”
Laster renewed a Person in Need of Supervision warrant today at Kings County Family Court. 
"I've been relieved for the past five days now but I also know I have to keep a look out of when am I going to have to do this again,” said Laster. 
Laster’s daughter posted to social media in the months that the missing persons investigation was ongoing. 
Laster said, “These kids go missing and it's like no one cares, OK, they'll come back when they want to. Do you know how many nights I spent crying and wondering how many girls were laying my little girl down a night?”