OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — For many social media is just for being social, but one woman in Osceola County is using social media to help police find her father.
“So this is my father. If you see him, please call the cops cause we are currently still looking for him,” Ana Albarran said in a TikTok post.
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After finding out her father is wanted in Osceola County for charges of child abuse, Ana Albarran got to work.
“I spent one night from 11 o’clock to 6 o’clock in the morning going to every motel between here and Haines City,” she said.
But then she came up with an idea to widen her search by taking advantage of a TikTok trend calling out family toxicity. She got more than 8.5 million views.
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“He went viral, like Germany, France, Australia know who he is,” she said.
It’s a bold move to out someone for serious allegations that a lot of families would prefer not to address, but Ana said she couldn’t stay quiet.
“I feel like now that I know, I feel like every victim after me is my fault, ya know?” she said.
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She said her video gave others the strength to speak up.
“I’ve gotten hundreds of messages saying that, ‘You gave me the courage to say something,’” Albarran said.
Having a voice is important, but counselor Dwight Bain said while social media can help spread a message, it is not a replacement for the criminal justice system.
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“If court of law doesn’t work, court of public opinion, and sharing your voice, and doing it in a way to say, “This has to stop. There’s a time for that,” Bain said.
Albarran said she’s still waiting for closure.
“I feel like until he’s found, I’m not going to have the closure I need,” she said.
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