Father Saves Daughter from Alleged Predator She Met Through Phone App

A father in Southern California was able to save his 12 year old daughter from an alleged predator whom she met through a phone app.

Tim LeBlanc woke up in the middle of the night to find his daughter missing in the house. He then took his truck to go looking for her in the neigborhood.

LeBlanc later found his daughter with an adult man down the street.

"As soon as my daughter saw my truck she must have said something, because as soon as I saw them, she, like, came away and started backing away and he started trying to go the other direction," LeBlanc says. "I came around the corner, got out, apprehended him."

LeBlanc said that his daughter had met 27 year old Scott Stilwell through the messaging app Kik and thought she was about to meet a 16 year old boy.

Stilwell who is from San Diego was later taken to police custody and had even reportedly tried to lure the girl by giving her gifts which included a necklace, jacket and a hat.

While LeBlanc admits that his daughter intentionally left the house to meet with Stilwell, he also said that the man had sent naked pictures of himself to his daughter.

"You know, I don't know if it's sex trafficking or just the mind of a really sick individual," he says.

Stilwel is currently facing two felony charges for providing harmful matter to a minor and for meeting a minor with the intention of committing a lascivious or lewd act.

Experts say young girls are becoming more and more vulnerable to online predators with the release of numerous dating and messaging apps.

"This is common scenario taking place today on Internet," says Opal Singleton, president of Million Kids, a nonprofit dedicated to educating parents about the dangers of online predators.

"Sit with your child, look at each app, Google the app," Singleton advises.