Celebrity bounty hunter Duane Chapman, also known as "Dog the Bounty Hunter," now wants to track down missing teen Sebastian Rogers following his disappearance six months ago because he "thinks the boy is still alive."
"I'm not a real law enforcement officer. I can do a lot of things that law enforcement cannot do. I don't break the law, but I will bend it to its fracturing point," Chapman said on News Nation Now with Banfield.
"I'm gonna hunt these people down. ... I think the boy is still alive."
When speaking with News 2, Chapman revealed that he's helping Sebastian's biological dad, Seth Rogers, and raising the reward for information about the 15-year-old's disappearance.
Seth Rogers has previously stated that finding the teen "doesn't feel like a shared goal" with Sebastian's mother and stepfather.
Since Sebastian first disappeared, Seth has reportedly not given up on finding his son.
The bounty hunter believes that the teen was "stashed somewhere" due to an ongoing custody battle between the parents, according to News Nation.
"We're seeing a domestic squabble over a child," he said.
Last week, the FBI announced a reward of $50,000 for information about the case, and while the search for the truth is still underway, Chapman has decided to step in and increase the reward to $100,000.
"This is one of the most horrendous cases of missing children that we've ever, ever worked on," Chapman explained.
"The bottom line is if you hurt a child like this, you've got a problem, so that is the main motivation for me to be hunting who did this."
Chapman's team intends to work independently from law enforcement; however, they will reassess previous information and follow up on new leads.
Many Americans are joining the search effort to find 15-year-old Sebastian Rogers.
Earlier this week, two TikTokers leading an awareness initiative announced that they've raised more than $22,000 for billboards to be put up across the nation in hope of keeping the investigation behind the missing Sumner County teen alive.
Sebastian Rogers is described as being 5 feet, 5 inches with sandy blond hair.
He was last seen on February 25 wearing a black sweatshirt, black sweatpants, and glasses when his mother put him to bed in their Hendersonville home.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Chapman's tip line at 833-835-5364, the Sumner County Sheriff's Office at 615-451-3838, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 800-TBI-FIND or TipsToTBI@tbi.tn.gov
