Missing teen's father demands answers from Sumner County Sheriff's Office for ‘lack of communication'

Yahoo

24-05-2025

SUMMER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — It's been almost 15 months since Sumner County teen Sebastian Rogers disappeared. His case made national headlines, but his father said the search is losing momentum ahead of National Missing Children's Day.
'He is my world. I need him,' Sebastian's father, Seth Rogers, said. 'I need him back with me.'
On Friday, May 23, Seth spoke with News 2 at the Sumner County Sheriff's Office. Frustrated and emotional, he said he feels like he's carrying the weight of the investigation alone.
'I don't even know, if a tip comes in, if I shouldn't track it down because I don't know if they can do their job properly because so far, they haven't…Their lack of communication with the public, their lack of communication with me is all telling me that they don't care that my son is missing,' Seth explained.
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Sebastian is one of an estimated 460,000 children reported missing every year in the U.S., according to the FBI.
Sebastian was just 15 years old when he vanished from his Hendersonville home in February 2024.
Initial search efforts involved local law enforcement, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI, but those physical searches have since shifted to focus on the investigative side. The last press conference on the case was more than a year ago.
'I would love to see them actually conducting more searches,' Seth said. 'I'd like to have some communication on the tips that have come in, just with me, so that I know that when a tip comes in, I'm not following up on the job they're supposed to do.'
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'I'm trying to find my son,' he added. 'They are trying to solve a case. You can't solve a case if you don't find my son.'
Seth told News 2 only one detective is actively assigned to the case, adding that he is often left to chase down the same leads also sent to law enforcement.
'We need more than just one set of eyes on this case,' Sebastian's father said.
'It all falls on my shoulders to ask people to help find my son,' Seth continued. 'My son means something to me. These people should be doing their job.'
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News 2 reached out to the sheriff's office, which provided the following statement:
First and foremost, our thoughts remain with Sebastian Rogers. I want to assure the community that this investigation remains a top priority for the Sumner County Sheriff's Office.
We are aware of the community's concerns. Please know that behind the scenes, a tremendous amount of work has been done and will continue. Some aspects of the investigation are not be visible to the public due to the sensitive nature of the case.
We continue to ask for the public's help. If you know something — no matter how small it may seem — please come forward. Every tip matters.
Thank you for your continued support, patience, and care for Sebastian.
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In his push for progress, Seth said he has contacted lawmakers and is even drafting federal legislation aimed at reforming how child protection agencies and the AMBER Alert system handle missing child cases.
'It's a federal oversight law on places like CPS, DCS, the AMBER Alert, getting it redone and taking out of people's hands that don't care about the children,' Seth said.
Out of the roughly 460,000 children who are reported missing in the U.S. every year, Seth told News 2 that every one of those cases deserves attention — including Sebastian's.
'A parent demands answers. We demand answers because our heart is missing,' Seth said.
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, 15, was reported missing on Feb. 25, 2024 from the Beech area in Hendersonville.
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.
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.
If you have seen Sebastian or have info about his whereabouts, call the Sumner County Sheriff's Office at [phone] or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
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