Teen missing more than 3 weeks, last seen near foster home

SPRING, Texas (FOX 26) - More than three weeks have passed since a 13-year-old boy was last seen in the Houston-area. A few leads have come in that investigators believed were rather promising but none of them led to locating Anthony Porch. 

The teen disappeared from his foster home on Sept. 29.

“He's 13, but he's small in stature so he kind of looks like a 10-year-old,” explains Tiffani Butler with Child Protective Services. Butler also says that Porch's foster parents say that the teen simply walked away from their Spring-area home where he has lived since December 2015.   

Special investigators have been searching for the teen, including in San Antonio where CPS believes the missing child may have family. 

“We didn't actually find any family members there either," explains Butler. "That was the last known address we had for them but they weren't found either.”

Porch is said to be a good student excellent grades and according to CPS, he has never run away before.  Investigators are following up on a number of leads.

”We have received a few tips from here in Houston so our caseworkers and special investigators have been out in Houston as well looking for him and still no sign right now,” adds Butler.

A 13-year-old boy on his own can be dangerous for many reasons especially considering that according to The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 74 percent of runaways who are sexually-trafficked become victims after disappearing from social services care or foster care. 

”Houston is one of the hubs for trafficking victims so we have a lot of people out there looking for him.”.          

Butler says there was a delay in reporting Porch's disappearance to the media because the agency believed he would turn up at the home of a friend or family member, but that hasn't happened. If you have any information about where Anthony Porch may be, you are encouraged to contact CPS by phone at 713-748-9675.