Search for missing Georgia girl ends with man sentenced to prison for rape, deputies say

A search for a missing juvenile in Walton County ended with a man sentenced to serve decades in Georgia prison, deputies say.

Officials with the Carroll County Sheriff's Office say their investigation began on May 24, 2024, when they were contacted by officials in Walton County about a missing girl who may have been near Lamar Moody Park.

While deputies weren't able to find her at that time, they sent out an alert to be on the lookout for the girl.

The search ended after two travelers from Alabama called Carroll County 911, reporting that they found a young girl on the side of Interstate 20. That girl was eventually confirmed to be the missing juvenile, police say.

Investigators say they identified Nicholas Hallstrom as the person who picked up the girl earlier that morning and learned that he and his encounter with the underage victim "had been sexual in nature."

During an interview, officials say Hallstrom admitted to his actions and confessed. He was charged in Carroll County with two counts of child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, enticing a child for indecent purposes, second-degree cruelty to children, and statutory rape.

On Aug. 26, Hallstrom pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 50 years, with 30 to be served in prison.