TENNESSEE — An East Tennessee AMBER Alert has been activated for the Surgionsville Police Department for a 14-yr old Hayleigh Wilson.
Hayleigh Wilson is a white female that left her residence in Surgoinsville, Tennessee on the night of June 22, 2015 at approximately 10:00 p.m.
Wilson allegedly stole her father’s 2004 Ford Explorer and drove off to pick up a 41-year-old sex offender at a campground, police said.
Hayleigh has been spotted at a Walmart in Marion, North Carolina in the early morning of June 23, 2015. Hayleigh was wearing a flowery top and in the company of a 41- yr old adult male named Benjamin ‘Ben’ Shook.
The girl didn’t likely didn’t know about Ben Shook’s past, according to Surgoinsville Police Chief James Hammonds.
Originally from Georgia, Shook has a long criminal history, including sexual battery and exploitation. He served 10 years in prison and was released in September 2014. Police say he registered once as a sex offender, but did not update his information afterward.
“It looks like both the child and the suspect met on an online app” called Kik, Hammonds said. On its website, Kik says it has 200 million users.
Ben Shook was wearing a blue shirt with the letters ‘Ford’ written on it, dark shorts and a camouflage baseball hat. Ben Shook has multiple tattoos.
Ben Shook currently has an active warrant for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender out of Georgia. Hayleigh and Ben may be in a 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Maroon in color with Tennessee tag D6020D.
If you have any information on Hayleigh Wilson or Ben Shook, contact the Surgionsville Police Department at 423-272-7121 or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
