DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines man has been arrested for allegedly grooming and sexually abusing a 12-year-old victim.

Sergio Silva Amado, 21, is being held in the Polk County Jail on three counts of second-degree sexual abuse and one count of grooming. The charges are felonies.

Sgt. Paul Parizek of the Des Moines Police Department said Silva Amado’s arrest stemmed from a missing child investigation. Officers were called to a Highland Park home around 11:47 a.m. Wednesday on a report of a missing 12-year-old girl. The family of the child found messages in the Instagram app between an adult male and the child, indicating the adult orchestrated for the child to skip school so they could meet up.

Using Instagram user names as a starting point, investigators were able to identify Silva Amado as a suspect. Sgt. Parizek said a previous traffic citation issued by DMPD was able to help investigators move the investigation ahead quickly.

Less than an hour after police were called, officers found Silva Amado and the child were located at a residence within a mile of the child’s home.

The child was reunited with her family.

Sexual abuse investigators were called in due to the nature of the online communications and following further investigation Silva Amado was arrested.

Criminal complaints filed in the case said that through Silva Amado’s “extensive Instagram chat conversations” with the victim, investigators were able to determine he was “fully aware” that she was 12-years-old.

Sgt. Parizek said incidents involving online predators, especially those targeting children and teens, are growing across the nation. Between 2021 and 2023 the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said the number of online enticement reports increased by over 300%. Through the first three-quarters of 2024, the organization received more than 450,000 tips about online enticement.

Click here for more details and tips on how to guard yourself and your kids from online enticement.