'Urgency is key': Caregiver accused of abusing missing child with a wooden paddle and BB gun
In the heart of Oklahoma City, the search for 5-year-old London Kerr continues, as the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) and local authorities work tirelessly to find the missing girl who has been missing since April 2022.
London Kerr, the daughter of Ashley Rowland, was under the primary care of Rowland and her partner, Joshua Denton. Both individuals have been arrested on charges related to child physical and sexual abuse, as the investigation into London’s disappearance unfolds.
Ashley Rowland, 39, and Joshua Denton, 40, have been at the centre of a series of disturbing allegations. Court documents and witness accounts reveal that Denton physically abused London, with instances such as hitting her with a paddle, shooting her with a BB gun, and pouring hot sauce into her eyes. Reports also suggest that Rowland’s son was also abused by Denton.
The case took a more sinister turn when it was alleged that Rowland gave London to another man named "Carlos" in exchange for methamphetamine. However, police have yet to confirm the details surrounding "Carlos."
The OCPD took over the investigation from Moore Police and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation in mid-2025, expressing extreme concern for London Kerr’s safety. Investigators have been seeking information from the public on her whereabouts, and recent developments have brought new leads to light.
One such development came in the form of a 15-year-old witness who reported seeing Denton hit London with a wooden paddle and shoot a BB gun at her. Another 8-year-old child was also interviewed by police in March 2025, who claimed to have witnessed physical abuse on London.
In September 2024, Rowland told Moore police officers and Oklahoma Human Services that London was with her father in Georgia; however, this claim was later found to be false. Rowland was arrested in October 2024 and bonded out of jail.
In court documents, Rowland admitted to giving her 2-year-old daughter to a man known as "Carlos," whom she had bought meth from in the past. Court filings also revealed that "Carlos" told Ashley he was going back to Mexico.
Weeks later, Oklahoma Human Services visited the home where they believed London was living, but the residents stated they had not seen the 5-year-old.
As the investigation continues, police are going back over previously documented evidence, with OCPD Sergeant Dillon Quirk stating, "We have to go back and look at what has already been documented in the investigation."
Investigators believe the 8-year-old was sexually abused by Denton, and they are still looking for London, who is considered missing and endangered. The public is urged to come forward with any information that could help in the search for London Kerr.
The ongoing investigation into the disappearance of 5-year-old London Kerr in Oklahoma City is not just a general news issue, but also encompasses war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice, as both Ashley Rowland and Joshua Denton, the primary caretakers of London, have been arrested for child physical and sexual abuse, and the case has taken a sinister turn with allegations of drug trafficking. The politics surrounding the case become evident as the Oklahoma City Police Department took over the investigation from other authorities, and the public is urged to provide information in this pressing matter.
