A Utah custody dispute escalated into an international case after a 10-year-old child was allegedly kidnapped by a trans parent as family members feared gender reassignment surgery in Cuba, authorities said.
Federal authorities allege the child’s biological father, Rose Inessa-Ethington, 42, who also goes by Eri, and the father’s partner, Blue Inessa-Ethington, 32, also known as Carly Ann Crosby, never made it to their planned destination for a camping trip in Canada.
Instead, investigators say the pair took the child across multiple international borders without the mother’s knowledge or court approval, a move now at the center of a federal international parental kidnapping case.
The two were found in Cuba April 16 with FBI assistance and brought back to the U.S. Monday, where they appeared in federal court in Richmond, Virginia. They are expected to be transferred to Utah, where the case will proceed as they face charges of international parental kidnapping.
According to a federal criminal complaint, the trip began March 28, when the child left for what the mother, who shares custody of the child, believed was a camping excursion to Calgary.
The next day, the group crossed into Canada on foot through the Peace Arch border crossing in Washington state but never checked into their hotel or campsite, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah said.
Instead, authorities say they quickly changed course.
Court documents outline a multi-country route, flying from Vancouver to Mexico City on March 29, then traveling to Mérida before boarding another flight to Havana, Cuba, April 1. Mexican immigration officials later confirmed the group’s movements using U.S. passports.
Investigators say the trip appeared far from spontaneous. According to the complaint, searches of the couple’s home uncovered detailed planning notes, including references to learning Spanish, securing travel documents and preparing for extended travel. One defendant withdrew $10,000 in cash just days before the trip, and additional notes referenced banking activity, storage plans and travel logistics.
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Back in Utah, the child’s mother was left waiting. The last time she heard from the child was March 28, when the child communicated that the group had arrived safely in Canada. The child was due home April 3 but never returned.
As days passed with no contact, concern intensified.
Court documents state both adults shut off their phones after March 28, cutting off communication, while the child had no independent way to contact family.
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According to court filings, family members raised serious concerns about the child’s well-being. The child, born male but identifying as female, was believed by some relatives to have been influenced by Rose, authorities said. There were also fears the child may have been taken out of the country for potential gender reassignment surgery before reaching puberty.
Tess Davis, a lawyer representing the child’s biological mother, told The New York Times the issue of gender-related medical treatment had been an ongoing point of contention during the parents’ divorce.
“I don’t think she ever imagined that Rose could do this until it was too late,” Davis told the outlet. “She was worried about never seeing her child again.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Davis for additional comment.
On April 13, a Utah state court granted the mother exclusive custody and ordered the child’s immediate return.
Three days later, on April 16, Cuban authorities located the group. U.S. officials, working with international partners, secured the child’s recovery and return to the U.S.
The two defendants are now in federal custody facing international parental kidnapping charges.
An FBI agent wrote in the complaint that the level of planning suggested the pair intended to leave the country with the child and not return.
“We are grateful to law enforcement for working swiftly to return the child to the biological mother,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak.
“Our priority in every parental kidnapping case is the safety and well-being of the child,” said FBI Salt Lake City Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls. “This case reflects the strength of partnerships in locating victims, supporting reunification, and ensuring accountability.”
FBI Director Kash Patel also weighed in on the case, saying agents and their partners “acted quickly and saved a young child who was kidnapped and ended up in Cuba,” adding that the child is now “safely home.”
Patel also praised FBI teams in Salt Lake City and Richmond, along with specialized response units, for their role in the recovery.
The case involved coordination across multiple agencies, including the FBI, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, ICE personnel in Havana and the FBI’s legal attaché office in Mexico City.
Prosecutors say the case is being brought as part of the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, a nationwide effort launched in 2006 to combat child exploitation and better coordinate resources to locate victims and prosecute those who endanger them.
