Man arrested and charged after Hall County girl disappears

Man arrested and charged after Hall County girl disappears

Antonio Augustin (Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office)

The man accused of taking a 12-year-old Hall County girl to his Ohio home has pleaded not guilty.

Antonio Agustin-Ailon was indicted by a grand jury in Tuscarawas County on charges of rape, sexual assault, facilitating sexual acts by a minor or disabled person, and child custody interference.

The 34-year-old man is accused of meeting a 12-year-old Gainesville girl online and eventually bringing her to Dover, Ohio, where he lives, around May 29, when the girl was last seen. The girl’s disappearance sparked a search that lasted nearly two months and made local, regional and national headlines.

The girl eventually contacted her family via Facebook Messenger and told them she was “OK” and to stop searching. Investigators were able to trace the IP address used in those messages to a phone in Ohio.

Four sheriff’s investigators then traveled to Ohio and discovered the missing girl and the suspect at a municipal swimming pool on July 25. Police officers followed them to a nearby store, where he was taken into custody and she was recovered safe and sound.

Prosecutors originally wanted to extradite Agustin-Ailon to Georgia to face charges there, but prosecutors believe the more serious crimes were committed in Ohio, where most witnesses to these crimes are located.

Prosecutors in the state of Georgia say they will proceed with filing relevant charges in Hall County, likely through a grand jury presentation, while Tuscarawas County proceeds with its case.

A bail hearing is scheduled for August 21 at 10 a.m. He is currently being held in the Tuscarawas County Jail and faces up to life in prison if convicted.

This story is being reported from Georgia. Due to the new charges in this case, FOX 5 is no longer identifying the girl in this case.

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