Missing Georgia Teen Found in Arkansas; Online Acquaintance Arrested

A missing 15-year-old female from Dade County, Georgia, was successfully located and recovered in Arkansas on Monday morning, June 9th, after reportedly being picked up by a male subject she had met online. The male suspect has been taken into custody.

Dade County Sheriff’s Office Deputies received a call regarding the missing juvenile on Sand Mountain. A brief investigation revealed that the 15-year-old had left with a male she had been communicating with over the internet, and the pair were reportedly heading to Oklahoma.

Dade County Road Patrol Officers, Detectives, and 911 Operators worked diligently, coordinating with law enforcement authorities in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Their efforts led to the location of both subjects in a vehicle along I-40, just outside Little Rock, Arkansas.

Arkansas authorities took both the male and female into custody. The juvenile female will be reunited with her parents, while the male subject is being held on one charge of Felony Interstate Interference with Custody (OCGA 16-5-45).

Sheriff Ray Cross expressed his gratitude to all agencies involved, stating, “I want to personally thank all the agencies involved in getting this young lady back to her family. As a parent, I can only imagine the fear going through the young lady’s family throughout this whole ordeal. With that being said, let it be known that if you come to Dade County and remove a child without their parents permission, we will find you, and we will prosecute you!”