Joint Investigation Leads to 50-Year Sentence for Man Who Abducted and Assaulted Missing Child

CARROLLTON, Ga. — A multi-agency investigation that began with the search for a missing juvenile in May 2024 concluded with a guilty plea and a 50-year sentence for Nicholas Hallstrom, authorities announced.

Hallstrom pleaded guilty on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, to multiple felony offenses stemming from crimes committed against a missing juvenile female. He was sentenced to a total of 50 years, with 30 years ordered to be served in state prison.

Missing Juvenile Located Along Interstate 20

The case originated on May 24, 2024, when the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office was alerted by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office that a missing juvenile female from their jurisdiction was believed to be in the area of Lamar Moody Park off Lake Paradise Road. Initial patrol searches did not immediately locate her.

At approximately 6:40 a.m. that morning, Carroll County E-911 received a call from two travelers from Alabama who spotted a young female alone along Interstate 20. Carroll County Sheriff’s Sergeant Repetto, working alongside Villa Rica Police Department officers and Walton County deputies, responded to the scene and confirmed her identity as the missing juvenile.

Joint Investigation Leads to Confession and Charges

Investigators quickly identified Hallstrom as the individual who had picked up the juvenile during the early morning hours. Walton County investigators initially obtained warrants, and Hallstrom was taken into custody.

As Walton County Investigator Turpin and Sergeant Repetto continued following up on the case, evidence emerged indicating the encounter was sexual in nature. Additional warrants were issued in Carroll County, and Hallstrom was transferred to the Carroll County Jail. During a subsequent interview with Sergeant Repetto, Hallstrom confessed to the crimes.

Hallstrom was formally charged in Carroll County with two counts of Child Molestation, Aggravated Sexual Battery, Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes, Cruelty to Children in the Second Degree, and Statutory Rape before entering his guilty plea.