ROCKCASTLE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — New court documents are shedding light on how a missing Kentucky teenager communicated with the man accused of kidnapping her during a nearly three-month disappearance that sparked a multi-state search.
13-year-old Rockcastle County teen Wynter Wagoner, was found Dec. 26 in Maryland after allegedly going to Florida with 37-year-old Christian Delgado. Police said Delgado met Wagoner online.
Court records obtained through an open records request at the Rockcastle County Circuit Clerk's Office reveal search warrants that show what police were looking for during the hunt for the teen. The documents include a picture of a secret cell phone with a Bay Smokes sticker on the back.
According to the affidavit, Wagoner used the phone to communicate with Delgado. The document states the phone was hidden in the ceiling of the downstairs bathroom at her foster home and contains information related to her kidnapping and communication with Delgado. The documents also show an image of Delgado's phone.
The case highlights growing concerns about online predators targeting juveniles through social media and gaming platforms.
"We're working currently three cases and looking at possibly a fourth," said Bell County Sheriff Mitch Williams.
Williams, whose office is not involved in the Delgado case, posted on Facebook that his department has worked multiple cases of juvenile victims being contacted and exploited through popular social media sites and online gaming sites.
"We want to put this out for parents who don't have an idea of what their child could be going through and we're wanting them to notice the red flags that come along with it and to know how to approach their child," Williams said.
Warning signs include sudden secrecy about phone, tablet or computer use, quickly closing apps or screens when an adult enters the room, and requests for money, gift cards or cryptocurrency.
"I think that some of them just were unaware of what some of these apps contain," said Det. Hunter Luttrell.
Luttrell recommends monitoring or disabling private messaging when possible and keeping devices out of bedrooms. If parents see a problem or unfamiliar username, they should block it but keep it as evidence and report it immediately to authorities.
"There needs to be an open discussion about these things, not just like if you do this, if you do that, it's gonna happen to you. It's like, hey, this could happen and we're here to talk about it," Luttrell said.
