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North Carolina child found in Mississippi, man arrested

By Kaitlin Howell Oct 2, 2024 | 12:36 PM

CARROLL COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – Deputies said a 12-year-old child, who was reported missing in North Carolina, was found in Mississippi, and a man was arrested in connection to the case.

Carroll County Sheriff Clint Walker said deputies and FBI agents responded to the alert on Tuesday, October 2. They were notified that the child was in the Vaiden area. Authorities searched vehicles at a truck stop, and they discovered the girl in a cab of an 18-wheeler.

Walker said the driver, 35-year-old Randy Donovan Taylor, of Columbus, South Carolina, was arrested and booked into the Carroll County Regional Correctional Facility. He is facing multiple federal, state and local charges.

In Carroll County, Taylor is facing charges of possession of child pornography and lustful touching.

  • Randy Donovan Taylor (Courtesy: Carroll Co. Sheriff’s Office)
  • Deputies said a 12-year-old child, who was reported missing in North Carolina, was found in Mississippi, and a man was arrested in connection to the case. (Courtesy: Carroll Co. Sheriff’s Office)

“I want to thank the coalition of law enforcement agencies who worked together with us in returning this child to her family. Since her abduction on September 29th, the FBI has worked tirelessly trying to track and locate her along with many law enforcement agencies and officers, including but not limited to the Jackson Metro area, Intel Analysts, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, Madison County Sheriffs Office, and our agency,” Walker said.