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Police are desperately hunting for a missing teenage girl who is believed to be travelling with a convicted sex offender more than 20 years her senior, according to reports.

Autumn Van Zandt, 17, hasn’t been seen since Tuesday when she was spotted in Fredericksburg with 39-year-old Ronnie Keene Reel, and police suspect they may try to travel out of state.

Van Zandt is believed to be “missing under voluntary circumstances,” police said, but her young age and suspected company have left family terrified.

The age of consent in Virginia is 18.

Reel has a terrifying history of sexual violence — he confessed to sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy in 2021.

But he was cut loose on a plea deal after prosecutors with Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano’s office failed to meet crucial evidence deadlines in his case, ABC 7 reported.

“Please help us find Autumn,” the Fredericksburg Police Department said in a statement posted to Facebook.

Van Zandt is five-foot, seven-inches, about 135 pounds and has brown eyes and hair.

She also has a heart tattoo on her hip, and was last seen in jean shorts and a black top.

The family of Reed’s 2021 victim said they were “heartbroken” by reports that he might be preying on another child.

“I am praying for the family, and I hope to God she comes home,” the mother said. “I just pray to God you find your little girl because she deserves nothing more than a home in her family’s arms.”

She also accused prosecutors who handled her family’s case in 2021 of being to blame for the current situation with Reel.

“We had everything in line,” she said. “He was looking at life in prison for what he did to him, and with one simple mistake of failing to file paperwork, he was let go.”

“He only got an assault battery charge, that’s it, nothing more. He didn’t have to register as a sex offender. He doesn’t have to do anything. And look what’s happening now. He walks free, and my child did not get any justice whatsoever,” she said.

The judge handling Reel’s case at the time agreed, court documents obtained by ABC 7 showed.

“It’s very frustrating to the Court,” Fairfax County Chief Judge Penney Azcarate said at the time, adding that evidence deadlines were “woefully, woefully missed in this case.”

The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) launched a new measles dashboard amid an uptick in measles cases and an outbreak in Buckingham County.

The dashboard shows key information to help Virginians see measles trends, understand the impact and know their risk of exposure as measles cases increase nationally and across the commonwealth, VDH said in a press release.

“It’s important for Virginians to know what is happening in their communities in real time,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Cameron Webb. “This dashboard is our commitment to being as transparent as possible about the impact of measles across the Commonwealth. When people have clear, accessible information, they can make informed decisions to protect themselves and their families.”

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How many measles cases are there in Virginia?

The dashboard shows how many measles cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been reported. You can also see case numbers by age, health district and other key factors. Updates will be posted Tuesdays and Thursdays around noon, said VDH.

To date in 2026, VDH has reported 40 cases of measles, with 13% of the cases requiring hospitalization. As of May 21, there are no reported deaths, according to the measles dashboard. Eighty-three percent of the cases are unvaccinated individuals.

Of those cases, 17 are related to an outbreak in Buckingham County. A measles outbreak is defined as three or more related cases among members of different households. The number of cases this year has quickly outpaced the five reported cases from last year.

Measles activity in the U.S., including Virginia, is rising due to increased travel-related exposures, both international and domestic, and declining national vaccination rates. Children younger than 12 months of age and others who are not vaccinated are very susceptible to infection if they are exposed to someone with measles, said VDH.

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Protection against the measles, outbreak recommendations

The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best protection against measles, advised VDH. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective. If you or a loved one are not up-to-date with routine MMR vaccines, contact your healthcare provider or call your local health department to schedule a vaccine appointment today.

People who live in or visit the Buckingham County area should talk with their healthcare provider about outbreak vaccine recommendations. This includes considering an early MMR dose for infants older than six months to provide protection while measles is circulating in the community.

Measles is highly contagious and can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. Most people in Virginia have immunity to measles through vaccination or previous infection with measles. Approximately 95% of kindergarteners in Virginia are fully vaccinated against measles. However, some communities within Virginia could have lower vaccination rates, making them more at risk to measles outbreaks. Fortunately, VDH said, an increasing number of people are seeking to confirm their MMR vaccine status following Virginia measles exposure events.

For more information about measles, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/measles. For additional questions, contact VDH’s Call Center at 877-829-4682 (option 2, then option 3 “other”), The VDH Call Center is available Monday–Friday (except holidays) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Monique Calello is a reporter at The News Leader in Staunton covering health in the Shenandoah Valley and in Virginia. Connect with her at mcalello@newsleader.com.