A missing North Carolina teen who an older man allegedly abducted was rescued after she flashed a motorist a hand signal popularized on TikTok to indicate she was in distress.
Authorities said the 16-year-old girl, whose name was withheld, was sitting in the passenger seat of a Toyota Camry at a traffic stop on Interstate 75 in southern Kentucky Thursday afternoon when she made the gesture.
The hand signal popularized on the social media app alerts people to someone in distress.
The hand gesture is a fist made with the thumb tucked in “represents violence at home – I need help – domestic violence.”
A savvy driver noticed the teen’s cry for help and called 911 while following the Camry and providing authorities updates on their location.
Authorities eventually tracked down 61-year-old James Herbert Brick of Cherokee, North Carolina, who was reportedly on his way to visit relatives in Ohio with the abducted teen. Cops said they found a photo of a girl being portrayed sexually on his phone at the time of his arrest.
Brick was taken to the Laurel County Correctional Center and charged with unlawful imprisonment and possession of matter showing sex performances by a minor.
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