Tennessee authorities on Tuesday cautioned the public against sharing "inaccurate" information being shared online related to the search for missing teen Sebastian Rogers, which they say has caused a "distraction" in their investigation.
The Sumner County Sheriff's Office issued an Amber Alert for Sebastian, a 15-year-old boy with autism, after he was last seen in the area of Stafford Court in Hendersonville on Feb. 26.
"We do want to caution … there are some social media elements out there [that] report to have information that is direct from the investigation. I just want to reiterate that that is not the case. Some of the information that is being provided on some of the social media channels is inaccurate, incomplete," Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Susan Niland said during a Tuesday press conference. "We don't want this to damage the investigation."
She added that "rumors and speculation and theories" on social media regarding Sebastian's disappearance has "caused a bit of a distraction" and "taken away time and effort from what the agencies need to be doing. "
CAJUN NAVY CALLS OFF SEARCH FOR MISSING AUTISTIC TEEN SEBASTIAN ROGERS AMID THREATS
When Sebastian's mother, Katie Proudfoot, and stepfather, Chris Proudfoot, decided to leave town following his disappearance due to threats, speculation about their involvement began to spread online, but Niland said his parents have been "cooperative throughout" the investigation.
"They have pretty much done whatever law enforcement has asked of them. At this point, we don't have any evidence," Niland said of Sebastian's parents. "There is not any kind of an indication that there is a criminal element involved. But we are keeping options open. We don't know what has happened. We don't know where Sebastian is right now. So we are pursuing any and all avenues."
The 15-year-old apparently left home with bare feet and a flashlight.
Katie previously told Fox News that she overheard noise coming from Sebastian's room on the evening of Feb. 25 and told him to keep it down. The next morning, he was gone.
Following the teenager's disappearance, Katie drove about three hours away from home to meet up with her husband and Sebastian's stepfather, prompting some to wonder why she would travel so far from the area where her son was last seen.
"We are posting fliers every direction we can. But at the same time, there were quite a bit of people that were sending some very threatening and hateful messages to us. They're following us. They're driving past our house at all hours of the day or night, disturbing the neighborhood, and the neighborhood is very upset and concerned. They're worried about their safety at this point," Katie said, adding that she felt that leaving the neighborhood would help calm things down.
Seth Rogers, Sebastian's father, told FOX 17 Nashville in a raw interview posted on March 28 that he has hope his son is still alive, and he is searching for the 15-year-old "everywhere."
He added that he recently learned Child Protective Services (CPS) had visited Katie's house before, and he had not been informed of the visit.
"I don't understand why the state dropped the ball on that one," he told the outlet, adding that he learned about the CPS visit from a podcast.
Investigators are asking the public to keep an eye out for anything unusual and contact the Sumner County Emergency Communications Center at 615-451-3838 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND with any information that could be helpful in the search for Sebastian.
Authorities have received a total of 314 tips related to the search for Sebastian as of Tuesday.
