Mother of kidnapped girl says suspect groomed her daughter through deception

MANTI — The mother of a 12-year-old Chester girl who was abducted last week says the man accused in the case spent weeks grooming her daughter and manipulating the girl’s trust before the incident that triggered a statewide search.
Kerra Marie Dyreng, the girl’s mother, said her daughter met 20-year-old Aiden Dramore Larsen of Moroni through another teenager from their trailer court. That acquaintance, she said, helped smuggle a phone to her daughter behind her back so Larsen could communicate with her in secret.
“I found out what was happening because he took a video and showed it to me of my daughter sitting on a bed, fully clothed, watching a movie,” Dyreng said. “That’s where the most recent photo of him came from. He was never allowed in my home. I didn’t even know what he looked like until last Tuesday.”
Dyreng said Larsen made her daughter believe he loved her. “She believed he was in love with her,” Dyreng said. “He taught her how to drive, and that’s how she stole my father’s truck and made it to Moroni to meet him.”
After discovering the deception, Dyreng said she reported the situation to authorities two weeks before her daughter disappeared, but nothing came of it at the time.
Sanpete County Sheriff Jared Buchanan told Fox News the case did not meet the standards for an AMBER Alert. That fact caused confusion and concern over social media channels where family and friends were coordinating community assistance in the search. People involved were upset that the AMBER Alert had not been activated.
Buchanan said the lack of AMBER Alert in no way reflected a lax approach to the case.
“Due to the age of the juvenile involved, we took the case very seriously,” he said. “The Sanpete County investigations unit, our patrol unit, even me and the captain had gone out searching different locations. We had all hands-on deck.”
The girl went missing the afternoon of Oct. 14. Larsen was arrested that evening after being spotted at a gas station in Sevier County and leading officers from multiple agencies on a high-speed chase that ended near Clear Creek Canyon, east of Richfield.
Deputies attempted to stop the pickup reported stolen from Moroni, but Larsen fled at speeds topping 100 mph, according to court records.
Spike strips deployed along Interstate 70 disabled the vehicle’s tires, forcing it off the roadway. Investigators said Larsen and the girl ran from the truck into nearby terrain but were captured shortly afterward without injury. The girl was safe and was placed under protective care.
Coordination among the Sanpete County Sheriff’s Office, Sevier County Sheriff’s Office and Utah Highway Patrol appeared to be the key factor in the swift recovery.
Larsen faces multiple felony counts in both counties, including child kidnapping and theft by receiving a motor vehicle in Sanpete County, and rape of a child and failure to stop for police in Sevier County. Investigators said he was already on probation for a prior vehicle-theft conviction.
He remains held in the Sevier County Jail, and prosecutors in both jurisdictions say they plan to coordinate their cases as the investigation continues.
Dyreng said her daughter is safe but emotionally shaken. “She’s okay. She’s frustrated and upset,” she said. “I’m hoping she’ll learn to love herself now, not later, when she’s 30. Maybe it will change her life for the better.”
While Dyreng described Larsen as “a monster,” she also expressed compassion for the system that failed him.
“He was let down by society,” she said. “He was missed over and forgotten and allowed to become a monster. He was a child once. I pray we find a way to improve our healthcare and mental health. It would benefit us all.”
She said she works with children every day who face similar struggles, and fears what can happen when they are ignored.
“They deserve for someone to be on their side,” she said. “He is a monster, but he didn’t have to be.”
In the days following the girl’s rescue, family and friends organized a raffle to help the family recover from the crisis.
Raffle tickets cost $5 each or five for $20, with the drawing scheduled for Dec. 1, 2025. Prizes include a prepared dinner for a family, an acrylic canvas painting, and custom handmade art pieces. Organizers said additional crafted items will be added before the drawing date.
Those who wish to contribute can purchase raffle entries or make direct donations through this shortened forwarding link to the Venmo account (http://bit.ly/477LOMQ).