Court records outline multiple counts as investigators track the child’s movements and how the search ended near Cement.
ANADARKO, Okla. — The mother and stepfather of a 12-year-old Oklahoma boy who vanished this month are facing multiple felony charges after the child was found safe on Sunday near Cement in Caddo County, authorities said. The pair appeared in court as investigators summarized a weeklong search and detailed alleged abuse at the home.
Prosecutors say the case moved quickly after the boy was reported missing Jan. 2 from Chickasha, prompting a regional search that drew state investigators and volunteers. While the child was still unaccounted for, deputies arrested his mother, Kimberly Cole, and his stepfather, George Cole Jr., on accusations ranging from child abuse to conspiracy. By Sunday, searchers located the boy alive and in stable condition, shifting the focus to how he left, where he stayed, and what officials describe as a pattern of abuse that began years earlier. The court filings mark the case’s next phase, with the child now in state care and additional interviews underway.
Investigators said the boy, who also goes by RJ, was last confirmed at the family’s Chickasha residence on Jan. 2. An endangered missing advisory followed. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation joined local agencies, while community groups combed fields and outbuildings across Caddo and Grady counties. “We can say the outcome we were hoping for has come true,” OSBI spokesperson Hunter McKee said after the find, noting the child was in “good spirits” when searchers contacted him around midday Sunday. Volunteers with the United Cajun Navy reported spotting the boy alone inside a building near Cement. He was checked by medics, then turned over to child welfare authorities, officials said.
Court documents filed in Caddo County detail counts of child abuse, child sexual abuse and conspiracy against both Kimberly and George Cole, with additional counts of neglect referenced by prosecutors. Booking logs show the arrests began late Jan. 7 and continued after midnight Jan. 8. The filing history outlines alleged incidents going back several years, including physical abuse and coercive control. Authorities said the child described harm and threats at home in recorded interviews after he was found. Officials did not release a full timeline of where the boy stayed during the search, citing ongoing interviews. No additional suspects had been named as of Wednesday, and investigators did not say whether anyone helped conceal the child while he was missing.
The discovery near Cement drew attention because it sits roughly 20–25 miles from Chickasha, where the case started. Search crews used grid sweeps and drones on rural property lines while state agents worked parallel warrants for electronics and records. In the days before the recovery, authorities publicly emphasized the boy’s safety concerns and asked landowners to check barns and vacant structures. Similar cases in the region have led officials to adopt broader search perimeters and earlier use of missing-endangered advisories. Residents who joined the effort described long, cold walks along section roads and creek beds common in Caddo County ranchland.
At the courthouse in Anadarko, a judge advised both defendants of the allegations and potential penalties. Additional hearings are expected as prosecutors present charging documents and seek to keep the pair in custody. The state’s child welfare agency has temporary placement of the boy while forensic interviews continue. Investigators plan to review cellphone data, examine the home, and collect medical records that could corroborate the abuse narrative described in affidavits. Any grand jury action, if pursued, would come after charging decisions are finalized; preliminary settings could be scheduled as early as next week, according to court officers familiar with the docket.
Neighbors in Chickasha said they watched the search build over several days, from door knocks to organized lines of volunteers crossing pastureland. A rancher northwest of Cement said he saw patrol vehicles ride fence lines near his property on Saturday. “You just wanted the kid found before the weather turned,” he said. Outside the Caddo County jail, two women who identified themselves as family friends said they were relieved the boy was located and called for accountability in court. “The priority now is making sure he’s safe,” one said, declining to give her name because of the child’s age.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the boy remained in protective custody and was described by officials as doing well. The next major milestone is a procedural hearing expected in the coming days, when prosecutors could add counts or consolidate filings after reviewing new interviews and records.
Author note: Last updated January 14, 2026.