North Carolina girl found safe after allegedly being abducted by Mercer Co. man

A Mercer County man is believed to be on the run following an alleged kidnapping of a teenage girl.

The Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force says 38-year-old William Ice of Jackson Township is believed to be on the run after kidnapping a girl from North Carolina.

Our NBC affiliate WCNC in Charlotte says 14-year-old Savannah Childress was believed to be abducted in Davidson County, North Carolina, after being last seen on February 11.

Childress was found safe in Arkansas Saturday night.

21 News reported that Ice was believed to be on the run earlier this week after a number of charges were brought against him in connection to an alleged sexual assault of another 14-year-old girl in Mercer County.

Ice is also facing charges in Mahoning County related to an investigation by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force.

Police say Ice tried to meet up with what he believed to be an underage child for sex in June 2020. The meeting was actually part of an operation by the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department.

According to police, Ice realized he would be arrested and fled the scene in a car, nearly hitting two officers and leading them on a short chase before colliding with a Pennsylvania State Trooper's car.

Anyone with information on Ice's whereabouts should contact the police.

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