Missing teen Katrina Bohnenkamp was seen kissing Darren Denning in a photo

An enigmatic gentleman, captured in an intimate moment with a teenage girl who subsequently vanished without a trace seven years ago, expressed astonishment upon discovering his image in the news. He claimed to have encountered her only fleetingly, 'once or twice,' and adamantly denied any romantic involvement.

Darren Denning provided testimony during an inquiry regarding the disappearance of 15-year-old Katrina Bohnenkamp in 2012.

This 'troubled adolescent' was last observed departing from a residence in Strathfield, located in the inner west of Sydney, in October of that year. Law enforcement identified a mysterious man, depicted in a photograph kissing Katrina, as pivotal to unraveling the case. The photo, displayed on Katrina's Facebook page, dated back to July 2012, and the man was eventually identified as Mr. Denning.

Despite this, her father asserted during the inquiry that he was never romantically involved with Katrina. He insisted that they had met only briefly before her disappearance.

In an emotionally charged admission to the coroner, Mr. Denning described the photo as 'distressing.'

He expressed, 'There was a published photo of me with Katrina... It was rather distressing because I only met her once, perhaps twice at most, and my family had seen it.'

Mr. Denning acknowledged his struggle with depression and anxiety at the time but also held a self-image of being 'charming and attractive.'

Their acquaintance initiated through Facebook, and in one exchange, Mr. Denning referred to another woman regarding Katrina as 'my girl.'

The message conveyed, 'She's my companion lol, and her phone has been inactive for a couple of days; I'm starting to worry, all is well lol.'

Mr. Denning expressed his desire to bring closure to Katrina's family after seven years of uncertainty about her fate. He only became aware of her disappearance following the circulation of news about the inquest last year.

Presently, authorities are offering a $500,000 reward for any information pertinent to her vanishing. The teenager supposedly mentioned having a boyfriend to the police a month before she disappeared, yet he remained untraceable until recently, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.

The coronial inquiry, initiated in November 2019, disclosed that Katrina led a troubled life.

'She was subject to severe violence, especially during her time in foster care. Additionally, she was unmistakably a victim of sexual assault due to engaging in relationships with adults while underage,' remarked counsel Philip Strickland, SC, assisting the coroner.

The inquiry highlighted Katrina's 'unstable lifestyle,' involvement in substance abuse, and frequent escape from her residence at Guardian Youth Care in Chullora.

When Katrina, who would now be 22, departed in 2012, she did not inform her fellow residents of her destination or return. Reports at the time mentioned her last sighting as November 2, while others suggested dates closer to October 25.

According to her family, she hasn't accessed her bank accounts or social media profiles since her disappearance.

Her family suspected foul play in her disappearance and contested inaccuracies in public information, such as her missing person poster, which erroneously stated she had brown eyes instead of blue.

Although they requested corrections, the current AFP online page for Katrina continues to display the initial information.

Early reports hinted at sightings in Blacktown, Quakers Hill, and Riverstone, but law enforcement never confirmed these sightings officially.

Her half-sister Jaide Simpson once mused, 'Some days, I contemplate foul play, while on others, I consider it's just Katrina, impulsively taking off.' During a late November press conference, Ms. Simpson revealed having 'numerous hypotheses' about her sister's disappearance but emphasized the need to concentrate on factual aspects.

'She was vibrant, high-spirited, benevolent, and aspired to lead a fulfilling life,' she shared.

'She harbored ambitions and strategies; her sudden disappearance after sharing in-depth conversations about her aspirations appears incongruous.'

Following her disappearance, a 'Find Katrina Bohnenkamp' Facebook page was established but remained inactive after May 18, 2017.

Christie Houldin from Strike Force Delange expressed the detectives' unwavering commitment during a press conference, affirming, 'Our investigators have tirelessly sifted through all the information received over the years and will persist in pursuing every lead until we can offer Katrina's family the answers they seek.'

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