WEST BOUNTIFUL, Utah — A distress signal used by a Utah teen is being lauded for helping them get back home safely after being sexually abused by a man inside a West Bountiful hotel room.
On Sunday, Davis County dispatch received an alarming call of a report of a missing juvenile. Court documents show police asked a family member to call the teen's phone, and when they did they noticed the teen had changed their voicemail.
"Apparently, that was a safety precaution, something they had discussed recently in their home as a way to signal if something is wrong," explained Stephanie Dismore, public information officer with the Davis County Sheriff's Office.
The teen was later able to share their location with a family member. It was in the hotel where police found the minor with 36-year-old Austin Arnold from California.
Arnold has been charged with enticing a minor and sexual abuse of a minor. Three others also found in the hotel were detained, questioned and released.
"Unfortunately, these predators go to extreme lengths to groom children, sometimes over the course of months, sometimes years, and in this particular case, this individual traveled to our state with the intent to harm a child," said Dismore.
The sheriff's office says the office has seen an increase in crimes like the one in West Bountiful and is encouraging parents to be diligent in monitoring the social media accounts of their children.
"Take your child's cell phone every single night. If your child needs an alarm, be that alarm for them, buy them an alarm, go back old school if you need to be," Dismore said. "Be familiar with the apps your children are using and look through their phone.
"Your child should not assume any privacy to a cellphone."
Parents are also advised to have open communication with their children and call local law enforcement if needed because in this case, it led to the child being found safe.
"One thing we're always advocating for is having your child share their location with you at all times," Dismore said. "In this particular case, this was extremely helpful in helping locate this individual. We also advocate for using code words — so this could be a situation where your child texts you a code word and you need to go locate them immediately."
The sheriff's office hosts monthly internet safety classes that include information about apps, social trends, and safety precautions. The lessons are held on the third Wednesday of every month at rotating Davis Library branches.
