Editor’s note: According to Layton police, Natalee was found safe in Salt Lake City after a tip and has been reunited with her family.

LAYTON — Police are asking for the public’s help to find a teenage girl who was reported missing after running away from a Layton treatment center on Thursday.

The girl, identified as Natalee, 16, is a recovering victim of human trafficking, according to a family statement. Natalee ran away after suffering a triggering event, the statement said. “Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence for young victims who have suffered a serious traumatic event such as sex trafficking. The mental anguish she endured while being trafficked is something she will have to work through for the rest of her life,” said family spokesperson Zeke Fortenberry, an attorney who helps families victimized by human trafficking.

On April 8, Natalee was attending a professional basketball game at American Airlines Center in Dallas when she was lured away and ended up being trafficked to Oklahoma City and forced into prostitution, Fortenberry said. She was recovered by police 10 days later, and since then the family has been focused on her recovery.

The Layton Police Department said there is no indication of foul play in Natalee’s disappearance in Layton last week. “But we are concerned for her safety and are asking the public to please contact us with any tips or information about this case,” the department said in a news release.

Layton police can be contacted at 801-497-8300, or by calling 911 if the tip is urgent.

Fortenberry also shared a statement from Natalee’s mother: “I’m worried about her. She has been through so much, I just want her to be found safely. I love her with all my heart and will not give up looking for her until she is found.”

Newsletter