In 2008, Haynes continued modeling in campaigns such as Verizon and also appeared in numerous magazine editorials such as Teen Vogue and Arena. Afterward, Haynes began modeling in campaigns for Kira Plastinina, J. He subsequently appeared in a Bruce Weber photo shoot for Abercrombie & Fitch. Haynes began his career as a model at the age of fifteen in New York City, New York. His father died by suicide during Haynes's teen years, and Haynes was told that his being gay is what drove his father to kill himself. He has said that he experienced bullying due to his sexuality, and that he ran away from home for a time due to his mother's negative reaction to it. Haynes's parents were divorced his father was married seven times. He attended Navarre High School in Florida and Andale High School in Kansas, and graduated from Samuel Clemens High School in Schertz, Texas. He grew up on a farm in Andale and has also lived in Arkansas, New Mexico, Texas and Florida. He has described his parents as "free-spirited hippies." Haynes has five siblings, including brothers Clinton and Joshua, and a sister, Willow.
However, that’s a process that takes time, sometimes because the children don’t want to divulge the full extent of their ordeal, Cho said.Colton Lee Haynes was born either in Wichita, Kansas, or Andale, Kansas, a town of 900. Our undercover officers often go there to find those who attempt to recruit children for sexual exploitation,” Uribarri said.įederal and local officials are preparing to prosecute some of the adults hosting or holding the minors. “Part of our job is to track child exploitation websites.
More than half a million children go missing in the United States every year and some are never heard from again, investigators said.īut just like sexual predators use the internet to find their victims, law enforcement agencies deploy analysts who can track them online, said Jorge Uribarri, deputy special agent in charge of HSI in El Paso.
Some adults take advantage of that vulnerability to obtain sex from the minor, sometimes by drugging them. Runaways are vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation because they depend on their host or adult friend for housing and sustenance, law enforcement officials said. “It could be a dating site, social media sites such as Tik Tok, Tinder, Snapchat They meet these individuals not knowing they are trying to bring harm to them.” When you feel secluded at home, not able to go out and about, they meet people online and go meet with these individuals,” Cho said. “You have individuals who due to the pandemic have been unable to go see their friends or travel. Taekuk Cho, deputy special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso, talks about Operation Lost Souls II. But many others fell prey to people they communicated with online and lured them to leave. Some of the minors had fled difficult situations at home, others walked away from foster families. “Sadly, however, several of these children were ostensibly victims of physical and sexual abuse and human trafficking.” “HSI is committed to protecting our nation’s most precious resource, children, by investigating and bringing to justice those individuals who engage in the sexual exploitation of minors,” said Taekuk Cho, deputy special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso. This is the second time the agencies conduct a high-intensity sweep dubbed “Operation Lost Souls.” The previous one resulted in the return of 24 children home. From late April to mid-May, the investigators followed leads from relatives and scoured the internet to locate minors reported as runaways. EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Seventy minors, many lured from their homes by online acquaintances and some subjected to sexual exploitation, are now safe thanks to the work of West Texas law enforcement agencies.Ī coalition of federal, state and local investigators rescued children as young as 10 from places like Midland, El Paso, Dallas, the state of Colorado and Juarez, Mexico.