She thought it was her big break.

Fresh out of high school, Kayla Monroe, 18, was ambitious, optimistic, and eager to start her adult life. With college on hold and bills to pay, she searched online for entry-level work — something flexible, something fast.

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That’s when she found it: “Personal Assistant Needed. Great Pay. Flexible Hours. No Experience Necessary.”

The ad sounded perfect — too perfect.

Because it was never a job.

It was a trap.

The Predator Behind the Screen

The man who posted the listing wasn’t a recruiter.

He wasn’t a business owner.

He wasn’t even looking for help.

He was hunting.

Using stolen company logos and a throwaway email, he created dozens of fake job listings across multiple platforms — each designed to attract young, vulnerable women.

Kayla responded within hours.

They exchanged a few emails.

He set up an “interview” at a residential address, claiming his home office was “under renovation.”

He called her “professional,” “quick to respond,” and told her she had the job — before they even met.

What Kayla didn’t know was that no one walked out of that interview.

The Trap

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When Kayla arrived at the listed address, she expected a casual meeting. She even texted her mom, saying, “I’ll call after this interview — wish me luck!”

That was the last anyone heard from her.

What she walked into wasn’t an office.

There was no desk. No resume questions.

Just a single chair, a locked door, and a man who smiled as he closed it behind her. For the next four days, Kayla was held against her will in that house.

The windows were blacked out. Her phone was destroyed. She was isolated, drugged, and filmed — part of a sick, carefully orchestrated scheme the man had repeated before.

Police initially classified her as a runaway. There was no sign of forced entry or abduction. Her car was still parked outside.

Her mother begged them to look deeper.

It wasn’t until a concerned IT technician at a job board company flagged a suspiciously similar ad — identical language, identical formatting — that authorities took a closer look.

The IP address matched a location under surveillance for an unrelated cybercrime complaint. Detectives cross-referenced the address with missing persons reports — and found Kayla’s case.

They moved fast.

A hidden camera installed by local investigators — meant to catch fraudulent online activity — captured the suspect posting a second ad just three days after Kayla vanished.

He was arrested within hours.

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What They Found Inside

Inside the home, authorities discovered:

A locked basement room with no windows.

Multiple IDs belonging to other young women — most traced to previous missing persons cases in surrounding states.

Hidden recording equipment, laptops, and burner phones.

And in one corner, Kayla — alive, but drugged and traumatized.

Her first words to police: “Am I the only one?”

Justice for Kayla — and Others

The man — Eric Dalton, 42 — is now facing multiple federal charges, including kidnapping, false imprisonment, sexual assault, and digital exploitation. Investigators believe he may be connected to at least three other disappearances dating back five years.

Thanks to Kayla’s survival — and the digital evidence he failed to erase — prosecutors are building a case that could put him away for life.

Kayla is now recovering with her family, working with trauma counselors, and helping law enforcement build educational resources to warn others about online job scams.

Kayla’s case isn’t isolated.

According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, fake job ads have become a growing method used by predators to lure young adults — especially women — into dangerous situations.

Red flags include: Job listings with no company website or vague descriptions. “Interviews” in private homes or remote locations. Urgent language like “Immediate Hire!” with no formal application process. Requests to come alone, or at night.

One Girl’s Escape Saved Others

Kayla thought she was walking into a new opportunity.

Instead, she stepped into a nightmare.

But she survived — and she spoke out.

Because of her strength, one predator is off the streets, and countless others may never fall into the same trap.

She answered a fake job ad. She became the key to stopping a real monster.