ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (WSAV) — 19-year-old Trent Lehrkamp is now getting care for the emotional trauma of the attacks against him, his family told NewsNation affiliate WSAV.

In an exclusive audio message given to WSAV Lead Investigative Reporter Brett Buffington, Trent thanked people for supporting him, saying, “I’m alive and doing well. Just know it’s going to be a long time for me to get over this, through the trauma, but one day hopefully within the next few months or so, I might be back.”

Trent’s family said the loving and caring teenager was taken advantage of by a group of teens he considered his only friends but added that Trent is 19 and it was up to him to decide if he wanted the police involved.

Because of rumors being spread online, the family wished to note that Trent is not on the autism spectrum.

Trent is now supporting the police investigation into the three separate attacks he went through, adding a strong promise to the end of his message saying, “justice will be served.”