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A woman who took to Facebook as a plea for assisitance has been inundated with assistance from internet detectives helping to find the husband who up and left his young family.

Massachusetts mother Ashley McGuire has gone viral for asking the internet to help track down her husband Charles (or Charlie), a chef and former Chopped contestant, who she accuses of ‘ghosting’ her and their young family.

Ashley and Charlie in happier times. Image: Facebook/unknown
Ashley and Charlie in happier times. Image: Facebook/unknown

In the original Facebook post (since deleted) on the forum ‘Are We Dating The Same Guy?’ Ashley sought help tracking down Charlie and made several accusations about his behavior prior to abruptly leaving the family.

Ashley’s original post. Image: Facebook/unknown

Everything started when Ashley shared the Facebook post last weekend.

It read: ‘I am really about to test the power of Facebook with this one…

‘This is my husband, Charles Withers. He loves to be the center of attention but I’m not sure how much he’s going to like this.

‘Last year, when I was pregnant with our youngest baby, he decided being a husband and a dad wasn’t the lifestyle he wanted anymore and he ghosted, like gone without a trace.

‘He has one baby he hasn’t seen in over a year and one he’s never met. He’s moved somewhere out of state and changed his phone number.’

The internet loves a sordid tale and leaped to the task, messaging Ashley with support and possible sightings, and even an alleged karaoke performance by the British chef, which prompted a heartfelt response again on Facebook.

Ashley's update
Image: Facebook/unknown

‘UPDATE: Guys… This is absolutely insane. I figured maybe someone in my area was still in touch with him but I absolutely did not expect this.

‘I’ve gotten more than enough information to locate him. I have literally hundreds of messages to sort through, some with information and some with support, and I appreciate all of them.
‘Single moms are a special breed, and I know a lot of you have gone through the same situation I have.’

The single mother of four—who had two children before meeting Charles—stressed that she now just ‘wants to move on’ and wishes her former spouse no ill will. McGuire also states that she just wants him to sign divorce papers so she and the kids can get on with their lives.

‘I sincerely appreciate all of your support, but please do not make threats, spread hate, or try to go out and locate him,’ she said. ‘Truly I only want to see this situation resolved so me and my children can restart our lives and fix the damage done.’

Ashley has since revealed in a radio interview that Charlie had texted her directly and said he was open to meeting with his soon-to-be ex-wife. He asked that she take down the original post, citing privacy concerns for his new employer.