RCMP searching for father and daughter missing from Duncan, B.C. area

Jesse Bennett (left) and Violet Bennett (right) are shown: (North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP)

Police are on the lookout for a 36-year-old man and his seven-year-old daughter who were reported missing to the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP on Sunday.

Mounties are searching for Jesse Bennett, and his daughter, Violet Bennett, who live in the North Cowichan/Duncan area.

Police say they have been unable to contact the pair since Jan. 20, when a joint custody agreement in Victoria Family Law Court ruled that Jesse had to return Violet to her mother on that day.

"To date, police and family have not been able to make contact with Jesse or Violet Bennett," said Sgt. Trevor Busch of the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP in a release Monday.

"We believe that Jesse Bennett is actively evading police and is in breach of the custody order, requiring him to return Violet to her mother," he said.

Jesse Bennett is described as a white man who stands 5'10" tall and weighs roughly 160 pounds. He has blue eyes, a brown beard, and brown hair that may be shaven – or he may be wearing a hat, police say.

Violet Bennett is described as white girl who stands 4' tall and weighs roughly 50 to 60 pounds. She has blue eyes and "big natural curly hair."

Anyone with information on Jesse or Violet's whereabouts is aked to contact their local police, or North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522.