SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Celebrity bounty hunter Duane Chapman, also known as “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” is joining the search for Sebastian Rogers, a Sumner County teen who went missing more than six months ago.
Chapman told News 2 he is helping Sebastian’s biological dad, Seth Rogers, and raising the reward for information about the 15-year-old’s disappearance.
Several agencies, including the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, have led searches for the teen before scaling back to focus on the “investigative side.”
Following the search for University of Missouri student Riley Strain , groups like the United Cajun Navy have helped look for the Hendersonville teen, but they withdrew their efforts with no sight of Sebastian.
‘She is dangerous’: Mother of missing Sumner County teen files order of protection against YouTuber “ Bullhorn Betty ,” a true crime social media influencer whose real name is Andra Griffin, also joined in on search efforts, making sure to include Seth.
Since Sebastian first disappeared, Seth has not given up on finding his son.
Last week, the FBI announced a reward of $50,000 for information about the case. Law enforcement has not said anything criminal happened to Sebastian. Still, seeing the need for answers, Chapman stepped in to help Seth and uncover the truth while increasing the reward to $100,000.
“This is one of the most horrendous cases of missing children that we’ve ever, ever worked on,” Chapman explained.
“The bottom line is if you hurt a child like this, you’ve got a problem, so that is the main motivation for me to be hunting who did this,” he expressed.
Chapman told News 2 that he and his team will work independently from law enforcement but will re-evaluate collected information and follow up on new leads.
FBI offering $50K reward for info leading to missing Sumner County teen Sebastian Rogers “This isn’t my first rodeo in finding missing children or finding who’s done it,” Chapman said.
Chapman added that he believes by working with Seth, following up on leads, and increasing the reward money, they will find the answers they’ve been looking for.
“You can run, but you can’t hide who did it,” Chapman said. “We’re going to find out.”
He said if you have a tip, give him a call.
“I’m not law enforcement,” Chapman explained. “I don’t have to ask you for your Social Security, write down your name, and bring you to court and all that. That’s why a lot of times I get information more than law enforcement does, so I will, of course, pass it on to law enforcement because they will probably do the apprehension.”
If you have information, you can call Chapman’s tip line at 833-835-5364 , the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office at 615-451-3838 , the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND or TipsToTBI@tbi.tn.gov . You can also contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov .
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Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers , 15, was reported missing on Monday, Feb. 26 from the Beech area in Hendersonville.
Sebastian Rogers: Description
Sebastian is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 120 pounds with dirty blond hair. He was last seen on Monday, Feb. 26 near Stafford Court wearing a black sweatshirt and black sweatpants, said the TBI.
AMBER Alert Issued
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) originally issued an Endangered Child Alert for Sebastian on the morning of Feb. 26 as multiple agencies took to the area to look for him.
Based on additional investigative information developed during the search, the TBI issued an AMBER Alert for Sebastian on the afternoon of Feb. 27. An AMBER Alert is issued when there is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred and the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death , per the DOJ.
Multiple agencies including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Nashville Fire Department, City of Hendersonville’s first responders, Sumner County Sheriff’s Office and Shackle Island Volunteer Fire have assisted in the search for Sebastian.
Who to Contact
If you have seen Sebastian or have info about his whereabouts, call the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office at (615) 451-3838 or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND .
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