SALINAS, Calif.- It's a story we've been telling you for about a
month now. A teenager, who said he was sexually abused by his father for
years, is still in hiding and trying every option he has to safely return to high
school without being sent back to his dad.
We first spoke with
16-year-old Damon Moelter in August. That's when he told us he was
abused
in Monterey County as a kid and that abuse continued in San Diego
County. Last
year after a San Diego judge found no evidence to support those claims,
his
father was granted full custody, and that's when Damon decided to run
away.
In hiding, Damon has posted several YouTube videos describing the
abuse. Now he's reaching back out
to the Monterey County Sheriff's Department, in his next attempt to
bring his
time in hiding to an end. We've been following this story and spoke
with Damon on Sunday about his mission to
just live a normal life.
"I'm trying to help you here. But
you've gotta help me," said the deputy.
"Ok," said Moelter.
"Ok, so lets start from the beginning," said the deputy.
The
video given to Central Coast News of Moelter speaking with a Monterey
County Sheriff's deputy. Damon said he needs an order of
protection, so he can safely return to high school in San Diego County.
"I'm being held away
from somewhere and that place I'm being held away from is my life," Moelter said.
Earlier this year, Damon gave the
district attorney's office evidence and testimony. But they said it wasn't
enough and that he needed to either call or visit the sheriff's
department in person. So this week he decided to follow
through, but the call didn't exactly go smoothly.
"Is there a contact number for
you?" said the deputy.
"No, there is no contact number for me because I'm in hiding," Moelter said.
"So, Damon,
you've being an un-cooperative victim. I don't know what to tell you," the deputy said.
The DA's office said Damon's case is
very complicated and getting a protective order isn't as simple as he's is
making it out to be. But Damon said he's been sent back to
his dad before, and he won't let that happen again.
"I really do want to cooperate. But I'm afraid that I'm going to get sent back to my father and he threatened
to kill me and i'm not safe with him," Moelter said.
Living in secrecy for more than a year now, Damon
only communicates with a few people and continues to use the internet
to get his story out. He said he's using social
media because he thinks it's the only way anyone in law enforcement will
pay
attention to him. But the DA's office said his video's
online aren't proof of any alleged abuse and until they can find some
merit
to his claims, there's not much they can do.
We reached out to the
Monterey County Sheriff's department today to get their side of the
investigation and are waiting to hear back.
