Who is Kenneth DeLand Sr? Dad of missing NY student says son had been in 'constant' touch before he vanished

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Ken's father said, "He would reach out to me almost daily, sometimes every other day." DeLand told NewsNation that the Privacy Act of 1974, which controls the data about people in federal files, has made it challenging to find out about his son. Kenneth DeLand Sr claimed, "The Privacy Act — I understand its intent — but in this particular scenario, when studying abroad goes sideways, and your kid goes off the grid for whatever reason that might be it really impedes any progress." 

DeLand Sr clarified that he hasn't really been able to exchange information for tips about his son with foreign officials. He stated, "I spoke with the embassy this morning. There’s no reciprocation, she can’t give me information." He added, "If I have information, I’ve been forwarding it to the embassy and to the FBI." Speaking to NBC, the public prosecutor of Grenoble Eric Vaillant, said, "The young man reportedly told several people that he had arrived in France insufficiently prepared and that he had difficulty making friends."

His father, though, is adamant that Ken informed them he was going exploring and not that he was experiencing the problems Vaillant mentioned. The missing student's father said, "On the break, he traveled to Italy and he traveled by himself. He stayed in hostels and traveled up the coast, down the coast and took a lot of pictures." He added, "He was having a great time. And it’s just doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t add up to why he would be off the grid."

Ken was last seen sporting a red jacket, scarf, gray beanie, and blue plants in addition to a black backpack he held onto. According to his bank record, he spent $8.40 on a transaction on December 3 at a sports shop in Montelimar, a city in the southeast. Ken is believed to have last communicated with his family on the day before he left for Valence, France. It's unknown why he was traveling to the area. A program lead phoned his parents after he skipped class. His father told GMA, "Kenny's a friendly, outgoing college student, a young man. He loves to travel. So, this trip has been something that he's really looked forward to and enjoyed." Ken's family fears the worst and wants him to be located.