AVERY COUNTY, N.C. — A 45-year-old man was arrested in Avery County after he was found with a missing teen.
Avery County Sheriff’s Office narrowed in on the wanted man after someone called 911 to report seeing him at Big Mike’s Creekside RV Resort in Newland.
The Charlotte Observer reports that Joshua John Childers was found with a missing 17-year-old girl.
“Deputies arriving in the area observed the wanted individual along with a ‘runaway’ juvenile female who was entered as a missing and endangered runaway,” the sheriff’s office said. “After a short foot pursuit, Avery County Sheriff’s Office canine handlers and drone operators were able to track and locate the fleeing individuals in a wooded area above Hardee’s in Newland. Both individuals were taken into custody.”
Childers had contacted the girl on social media. But court documents show a protective order told him to avoid contact.
The Charlotte Observer reports he was arrested and charged with possession of stolen goods, misdemeanor probation violation, two counts of a violation of a domestic violence order, felony abduction of a child, and felony first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Officials said the teen was placed in the custody of the N.C. Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention