North Carolina Police Rescues 13-Year-old After Being Lured by Social Media Predator

North Carolina police rescue a missing girl lured to leave her Texas home and family behind.

The 13-year-old girl was abducted from Dallas, Texas, and has been missing since March 1.

After federal authorities received a tip about the missing minor, the 13-year-old girl was rescued from a locked shed in Lexington, North Carolina.

North Carolina police rescue 13-year-old girl

ABC reported that Jorge Ivan Santos Camacho, 34, of Lexington, North Carolina, is facing several felony charges after the missing girl was found in the shed at the property where he was staying.

The case came to the attention of the Davidson County Sheriff's Department after they were contacted by a special agent from the Texas FBI's Violent Crime Task Force on Friday afternoon.

According to Richie Simmons, the sheriff of Davidson County, they received information about a missing girl from Dallas who was believed to be with an adult resident of Lexington, identified as Jorge Camacho.

Within 10 minutes of receiving the tip from the FBI, the authorities were able to locate the property where Camacho was staying, which was situated about 60 miles northeast of Charlotte.

The sheriff's department reported that they pulled Camacho over as he was leaving the property on Friday evening. Shortly after, they found the 13-year-old girl locked in an outbuilding.

The property owner confirmed that she had allowed Camacho to stay there but was unaware of his actions or the girl's presence.

Following her rescue on Friday, the girl was taken to a medical center for evaluation before being reunited with her family in Dallas.

Fortunately, she appeared uninjured, but it is still unclear how long she had been held captive and what trauma she may have experienced.

According to NBCDFW, due to the sensitive nature of the case and to protect the victim's identity, her name has not been disclosed in any media reports.

It is also worth noting that the girl is believed to be a victim of a sex crime, which is why her anonymity is especially crucial.

The 13-year-old was lured using social media

According to Simmons, the Davidson County Sheriff, the missing 13-year-old girl communicated with an adult through an unspecified social media site.

Their conversations were consistent with grooming and enticement, and she was convinced to leave her home. Camacho allegedly used a social media messenger to lure the girl from her home to his car.

Simmons expressed gratitude that they were able to locate and rescue the girl, as many missing person cases do not have the same positive outcome.

Law enforcement authorities recognized that this was a harrowing and disturbing case, and, fortunately, they were able to act quickly and save the victim before it was too late.

According to the Charlotte Observer, Camacho is currently facing several charges, including human trafficking, felonious restraint of a child, child abduction, and more.

He is being detained on $1.25 million in bonds. During Camacho's first court appearance, the judge informed him that he would face life in prison without parole if convicted.

The severity of his charges underscores the seriousness of the crime he is accused of and the trauma inflicted upon the victim.