Missing North Carolina girl found in Georgia during sex trafficking investigation

A girl who had been missing since May has been found safe in East Point after investigators identified online advertisements they said showed she was being sexually exploited.

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office said its investigators recovered the girl and arrested a suspect in connection with the case. The agency did not identify the suspect or disclose what charges the person faces because the investigation remains ongoing.

Fayetteville police in North Carolina contacted Fulton County investigators on Aug. 17 and asked for help finding the girl, who had been identified as a victim of sex trafficking.

Investigators said the girl was believed to be traveling to her mother's home in Georgia in May but never arrived. She was last seen getting into an unknown vehicle outside her home in Fayetteville.

Fulton County investigators later found multiple online advertisements offering commercial sex that featured the girl in locations across metro Atlanta, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Investigators with the Sheriff's Office and Homeland Security Investigations worked with the Fulton County SWAT team to locate her in East Point. She was taken to a secure facility for care and victim services.

"Once our assistance was requested, our teams worked quickly to locate and recover this juvenile victim, ensuring she was taken to safety and given the care she needed," Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said.