THOMASVILLE, N.C. — A Trinity man was arrested for abducting a Thomasville High School student, according to the Thomasville Police Department.
On Thursday, Feb. 8 Thomasville police officers responded to the 800 block of Trinity Street about a missing 16-year-old. The family said the Thomasville High School student had not come home Thursday afternoon.
The investigation led detectives to believe the student was with Lawrence Nathaniel Chandler, 53, of Trinity. Officials said Chandler is an acquaintance of the family. Information about the suspect vehicle was broadcast through several states, police said.
On Feb. 9, a North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper located the vehicle traveling on I-95 in Johnston County. The trooper initiated a traffic stop and found the teen inside the car. The student was not injured and has since been reunited with their family, police said.
Chandler was taken into custody and was served with a warrant for the abduction of a child. On Feb. 16, Chandler was arrested and charged with eight counts of felony first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
He was held at the Davidson County Jail on a $45,000 secured bond. Now, he is being held at the Randolph County Detention Center with no bond.
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