Father on the run with daughter as twisted #StandWithSophie custody saga escalates

The saga continues.

Sophie Long first made headlines last year after her father accused her mother of abusing her children during a custody battle. Now the family is in the news again as the ten year old has now suddenly disappeared. Sophie, who was last seen with her father Michael, has been missing since July 12. It is believed that her father intentionally abducted her and may be attempting to flee the state of Texas with her. Michael Long does not have any custodial rights to his daughter but family members, including Sophie's grandfather, say that if he has taken Sophie it was only to protect her from her mother;

"First of all, while people don't know where Sophie is, she is safe and with Michael. The reason she is not being given over to the court is to buy time for filing more court documents. We do not want her to go back to the abusive environment she was in."

Sophie Long has accused her mom's fiance Jacob Bellington of sexually assaulting her. Last year alleged abuse videos of her went viral in which Sophie is seen pleading for help and accusing her mother of being a part of the sexual abuse. Bellington has denied the allegations and says that Michael told Sophie to make the claims of sexual abuse; Lawyers hired by Sophie's mother say that Michael's main motivation may actually be financial;

"Michael Long has substantial financial woes, which appears to be the motivation for his attempts to monetize his child custody case. He filed for bankruptcy in 2011 leaving a debt of nearly $500,000."

As it stands the whereabouts of ten year old Sophie and her father are unknown. The Texas Department of Public Safety have said that it is possible the two “maybe en route” to Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Mexico or Argentina. The search for Sophie and Michael Long continues.