Authorities in Wisconsin have said that a distressing video that appeared to show a captive woman is “100% fake” and has no link to missing Wisconsin teenager Kayla Berg, who disappeared in 2009.

Antigo police had earlier asked for public help to determine the origin of the disturbing video posted online in the same year the 15-year-old went missing.

The video shows a man talking to the camera about his new girlfriend, then shows a female, apparently bound, in a small bathroom crying.

But late on Tuesday, Antigo police confirmed the video did not feature the missing girl: “The Antigo police with the help of another law enforcement agency has been able to identify that this video is 100% fake and was a video that was produced to be placed on youtube.com.

“The Antigo police department has identified the video producer/camera man, actor and actress in the video. This video has no connection to the disappearance of Kayla Berg.

“Thank you to everyone for their assistance in this investigation.”

Fifteen-year-old Kayla Berg, of Antigo, vanished in August 2009. Police say she had been dropped off by an acquaintance in Wausau.

Before the latest police announcement, Berg’s mother, Hope Sprenger, told WAOW-TV in Wausau that she had watched the video.

It “sounded like her, looked like her. It gave me chills,” Sprenger said. “Disturbing. It made me sick to my stomach.”

Antigo police chief Eric Roller had earlier told the Associated Press that he had been made aware of the video through a citizen tip, although it was posted seven years ago.

“There are some similarities. It could be real and it could be staged. We have to take it seriously,” Roller said.

The video had about 940,000 views on YouTube before it was taken down on Tuesday.

“The positive thing is getting Kayla’s name back out there. The negative is that the family has to relive another lead” that may not pan out, Roller said.

For Sprenger, the video refreshes a nightmare that began seven years ago. “I thought it looked a lot like her,” she said. “I pray to God it’s not.”

Antigo police had forwarded the video to the FBI, which has long been involved in the case and has offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to Berg or an arrest.