Idaho girl Payton Avery Murrieta, 12, vanishes after posing as 18-year-old on dating website as distraught parents fear she has met stranger online

A 12-year-old girl from Idaho has vanished after posing as an 18-year-old on a dating site - with her family fearing that the child has met a stranger online. 

'Energetic and fun' Payton Avery Murrieta was last seen by her family in the early hours of Friday March 15 in the area of 'The Ranch' and Midland in Nampa.

After she disappeared, her mother found her phone and saw notifications from a dating site flash up on it. 

She told the Idaho Statesman that she made a fake account to log on and saw Payton's profile which said she was 18. 

Appealing for help, Nampa Police Department said: 'Her family is concerned that she has connected with an unknown adult online and may be with them.'

Payton went missing in the early hours of Friday morning and hasn't been seen since

Her mother Ali has been appealing for information. The missing sister is pictured left

Payton has been missing for five days and her mother said she doesn't have her phone or her house keys. 

She said the last text she received from her daughter was to thank her and tell her she loves her 'beautiful mom.' 

She wrote on Facebook: 'None of her friends have heard from her and she hasn’t been on any social media. 

'If you see her please call the local Nampa police department at 208-465-2257. She about 5’5 - 125lbs, brown eyes, hair is now a dark red. It’s possible she is with an older male.'

A few days later she added: 'Anything can help even prayers. I can’t work right now bc she doesn’t have a house key or remember the garage code so if she does happen to come home I need to be here. 

'It’s almost day 5 and my heart aches for my daughter those who watch the news she has been on multiple news stations. I do have another daughter that I have to support.'

Ali told the Idaho Statesman that she turned to her daughter’s phone for clues after she went missing. 

Ali told the Idaho Statesman that she turned to her daughter’s phone for clues after she went missing

She and her husband created a fake account the dating site and found her daughter’s profile, which claimed she was 18

Most of Payton's family have taken time off work to look for her

She said that she couldn’t unlock the phone but was able to see notifications for a dating website.

Then, she and her husband created a fake account the dating site and found her daughter’s profile, which claimed she was 18.

She then handed the phone over to police. 

Most of Payton's family have taken time off work to look for her. 

On Wednesday night, Nampa Police appealed for video footage from a certain area. 

They wrote: 'Nampa PD is looking for video footage in the area of N. Midland and W. Sanetta Street from Friday, March 15 between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. 

'If you live in this area and have a camera system on your home, please send anything of interest to us.

'We are looking for vehicles in the area, suspicious activity, people waiting in a car, subjects on foot, etc.  

'Our hope is to help locate any details about missing and endangered 12 year old Payton Avery Murrieta. Payton is described as 5’05”, 125 pounds with dark red dyed hair and brown eyes.'

She was last seen wearing glasses and may have been wearing tie-dye leggings and a hooded sweatshirt.

Ali shared a video montage of photos of her and her daughter

A family friend set up a GoFundMe to support the family 

A GoFundMe set up for the family read: 'Ali is an amazing single parent mom, raising two beautiful girls. She does everything she can to put them first above all means. 

'She is an extremely hard worker who works long hours at a local restaurant to help take care of her and her girls for almost 25yrs with the same company. She has a beautiful heart and kindness about her that drives her to do everything for others verses herself. 

'On the night of March 15th her youngest daughter went missing. Since then she has dedicated everything to help find her along with friends and family. Because of this she is unable to work at this time and still has her other daughter to support. 

'I ask anyone to please help her and her family during this sad time and through this hard financial crisis. It is so sad. 

'And we hope that Payton is found soon. Please help her and her family during this hard time and please also share her daughter's picture and name.'