In Texas, sexual relationships between an adult and a teenager are illegal; the only exceptions are “Romeo and Juliet” relationships, where the older partner is a very young adult and the younger partner is nearing the age of majority, such as a relationship between an 18-year-old college freshman and an 16-year-old college junior. The idea behind this legal principle is that it is too easy for adults to prey on teens, abuse them, and take advantage of them. Therefore, the public feared the worst when a teenager , age 15, was abducted from her home in Texas in November of 2017. She eventually returned home safely, but her story has a sad ending.
The Disappearance of a Teenager
Before her disappearance, the teenager was a high school student living in Mauriceville, Texas. She loved animals and was especially interested in marine biology. She also struggled with bipolar disorder, a mental illness that affects about 1% of American adolescents. On November 25, 2017, she ran away with an older man whom she had met on Snapchat. At the time of her disappearance, she was in the midst of a manic episode; impulsive behavior can be a sign of manic episodes. She did not bring her medication with her. While her disappearance was not an abduction, as the teenager seems to have left home of her own free will, the man with whom she left clearly took advantage of her vulnerable mental state.
The Aftermath
On December 1, law enforcement officers found the teenager in Louisiana. At the time that law enforcement contacted her, she was not with the man with whom she had run away. Rather, she was with relatives of an acquaintance of hers. No one has been charged with any crimes in relation to her disappearance, and the media has not reported the identity of the man with whom she ran away nor any details about him.
After she returned home, things seemed to return to normal, except perhaps that people who had not known the teenager personally continued to read updates on her mother’s Facebook page. At the time of her disappearance, her mother had used Facebook to spread the word that she was missing and to encourage friends and strangers to help find her. In early February of 2018, posts on her mother’s Facebook page indicated that she had died, although no details have been published about her cause of death.
Teens are Vulnerable to Being Lured by Predators
Young children are not the only ones vulnerable to being lured away by predators. Teenagers can also be manipulated and convinced to run away with adults with bad intentions. If a teen goes missing in the company of an adult, you should notify law enforcement promptly, as Heaven’s mother did.
Contact Madrid Law About Sex-Related Offense Cases
No one was charged in Heaven’s disappearance, but most adults with whom a teenager runs away would be. If you are accused of a sex-related crime, you need a good defense lawyer to separate the truth from false accusations. Contact Madrid Law in Houston for a consultation.
