Hailey’s Law: New Alert System After Teen Tragedy

A 17-year-old girl’s death after a year of online grooming has exposed a dangerous gap in child safety laws that prevented law enforcement from issuing an emergency alert—a failure Indiana lawmakers are now racing to fix before predators claim more victims.

Story Snapshot

Hailey Buzbee was groomed online for a year through gaming platforms before being lured from her Fishers home by 39-year-old Tyler Thomas, later found dead in Ohio
Police could not issue an Amber Alert because her disappearance was classified as a “runaway case,” revealing a critical flaw in existing child protection systems
Indiana lawmakers are advancing “Hailey’s Law” with bipartisan support, expanding Amber Alert criteria and mandating strict parental controls on social media for users under 16
The legislation requires mandatory yearly grooming education in schools, replacing outdated “stranger danger” approaches with training on modern digital threats

Predator Exploited System Failure

Seventeen-year-old Hailey Buzbee disappeared from her Fishers home on January 5, 2026, after Tyler Thomas, a 39-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, spent approximately one year grooming her through online gaming platforms and encrypted messaging. When Hailey’s body was discovered in Ohio on February 9, the investigation revealed a heartbreaking truth: law enforcement had been powerless to issue an Amber Alert because existing criteria required evidence of abduction. The case was classified as a runaway situation, despite clear indicators that predatory grooming had occurred. This systemic failure has ignited urgent legislative action to close dangerous loopholes that modern predators routinely exploit.

Legislative Response Targets Big Tech

Indiana lawmakers are advancing House Bill 1303 to grant law enforcement flexibility in issuing Amber Alerts when children are believed to be enticed or at high risk, even without traditional abduction evidence. Simultaneously, Senate Bill 199 targets social media platforms generating over $1 billion in revenue, prohibiting accounts for children under 16 without strict parental controls. The legislation mandates “adolescent accounts” with parental monitoring access, usage limits, and restrictions on continuously loading content, livestreaming, and autoplay features. These measures directly confront Big Tech’s business model of profiting from young users while providing inadequate protections against predatory contact.

Schools Required to Teach Modern Threats

The comprehensive “Hailey’s Law” package includes mandatory yearly predator and online grooming education in Indiana schools, fundamentally shifting from traditional “stranger danger” approaches to addressing how modern predators operate. The legislation recognizes that today’s threats come through gaming platforms and social media, where predators pose as friends or peers rather than obvious strangers. House Speaker Todd Huston, representing Fishers alongside Representatives Chris Jeter and Victoria Garcia-Wilburn and Senator Kyle Walker, is leading the bipartisan effort. The lawmakers are working urgently to pass the legislation before the current General Assembly session ends, demonstrating recognition that every day of delay leaves children vulnerable.

Father Demands Action Against Digital Predators

Beau Buzbee, Hailey’s father, delivered powerful testimony at the Indiana Statehouse, declaring: “We are in the midst of the greatest crisis of our time. We are losing the fight to protect our children. The internet and social media are the devils’ and predators’ playgrounds, and it’s on this front that we must fight.” Governor Mike Braun echoed these concerns, calling on Big Tech to “stop selling their product to children” and supporting stronger parental tools and responsive alert systems. A grassroots petition supporting “Hailey’s Law” has gathered over 113,000 signatures, reflecting widespread public demand for action. The proposed “Pink Alert” system would activate when credible risk indicators exist, including evidence of online grooming, suspicious communications, or sudden disappearances.

The legislative push represents more than policy reform—it acknowledges that government has failed to keep pace with digital threats to children. While tech companies may resist regulations that disrupt their profitable engagement algorithms, parents across Indiana recognize that protecting children from online predators requires confronting corporations that prioritize profits over safety. The bipartisan support for “Hailey’s Law” demonstrates that child protection transcends political divisions when families face predators operating freely on platforms designed to maximize screen time. This legislation could establish precedent for other states grappling with similar failures in their child protection systems, potentially influencing national conversations about holding Big Tech accountable for enabling predatory access to minors.