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By Jenna Sundel
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The father of a missing Tennessee teenager is calling for the FBI to take over the search effort as it enters its third month.
Sebastian Rogers, 15, disappeared from his mother and stepfather's home in Sumner County, Tennessee on February 26. There were no signs of a break-in, leading officials to believe the child left on his own accord.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber Alert for the teenager who is described as having "a medical condition that may impair his ability to return safely without assistance."
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The teenager's father, Seth Rogers, said he wants the FBI to take over as the lead agency on the case during a vigil on Sunday, WKRN reported. The FBI can only take the lead at the request of the Sumner County Sheriff's Office or the District Attorney's Office.
The FBI and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are assisting with the case, but the sheriff's office is currently the lead agency.
"I don't sense a state of urgency from them; it's not their kid, it's mine. You know, this is a child of Sumner County," Seth Rogers said. "I tell people when you see something, say something, and then they turn around and they tell me that they see something and they never get a response."
Tennessee 18th Judicial District Attorney Ray Whitley shared his response to the request with Newsweek.
"I can understand the anxiety and the frustration that Mr. Rogers has over the situation," Whitley said. "But the case is being investigated by the sheriff's department and the TBI."
Whitley said the agencies remain in contact with the FBI as the investigation continues.
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Sebastian Rogers is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs around 120 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes and wears glasses. He was last seen wearing black sweatpants and a black sweatshirt.
Seth Rogers previously suggested foul play may be involved in his son's disappearance.
"Somebody doesn't want me to find my son," the father said on Nancy Grace's "Crime Stories" podcast. "There's things that have been coming off of the internet that I need to stop searching for him."
Earlier this month, photos of a child resembling Sebastian Rogers were circulating on the internet. The Sumner County's Sheriff's Office "determined the child depicted in the photograph is NOT Sebastian Rogers."
"We understand the gravity of the situation and the concern it has raised," the sheriff's office said in press release. "Our collaborative efforts with law enforcement agencies continue unabated as we remain committed to finding Sebastian."
Officials have used K9s, drones, helicopters, divers and search teams on foot and on horseback so far in the massive search effort.
Anyone with information about the missing teenager should call the Sumner County Emergency Communications Center at 615-451-3838 or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
Newsweek reached out to the sheriff's office for comment. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told Newsweek they do not have a statement since their role is to assist the sheriff's office.
What's an Amber Alert?
The AMBER Alert system is used nationwide to help notify the public about missing children.
"Every child featured in an AMBER Alert has been reported missing to law enforcement. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of a missing child," Alan S. Nanavaty, Executive Director of Special Programs for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, said in a previous interview with Newsweek.
As of last year, 1,200 children were found through the AMBER Alert system and 180 children were rescued because of the emergency alerts.
Issued alerts are broadcast through radio, TV, road signs, cellphones and other data-enabled devices.
In 2022, Texas had the most AMBER Alerts issued in the U.S. with 31 alerts issued.
Recent Active Amber Alerts
A Wisconsin toddler also remains missing more than three months after an Amber Alert was issued for the child.
Elijah Vue was last seen on February 20 in Two Rivers while staying with his mother's boyfriend, 39-year-old Jesse Vang. When Vang woke up from a three-hour nap around 11 a.m., the 3-year-old child was gone.
"He was last seen wearing gray sweat pants, long sleeve dark colored shirt and red and green dinosaur slip on shoes," the Amber Alert said.
Vang and 31-year-old Katrina Baur, Vue's mother, are being held at the Manitowoc County Jail for child neglect.
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