DES MOINES, Iowa – After a missing teenager was reunited with her family earlier this week, community leaders and lawmakers are calling for a change in how these types of crimes are prosecuted in the state.

“…Stiffer penalties,” said State Representative Rob Johnson (D) District 34, Des Moines. ”You can make it so tough, and you even think about doing it and you get caught? You are going to be looking at a much, much stiffer penalty than you were before.” 

Rep. Johnson told WHO 13 News that he is using the interim of the 91st General Assembly to work on legislation with lawmakers on the other side of the aisle and community members to deter bad actors from committing the events that were alleged this weekend. 

“We will stop at nothing to protect our babies,” said Rep. Johnson.

The founder and CEO of Creative Visions also spoke with WHO 13 News about how glad the family is to have their child back, and what the community will do to continue to support the family.

“Counseling is needed, not only for our victim, but her little brother. You see it in him, he is traumatized,” said Ako Abdul-Samad. “We have to talk about what has transpired, what has traumatized this child and what this child had went through and what other children to date are going through, those children that don’t have the result that this child had.”

Abdul-Samad reiterated that the community will be there for the needs of the family, whatever those may be. 

West Des Moines Police Department told WHO 13 News that because of the case being an active and open investigation, there was nothing new to add at this time.

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