Missing 12-year-old found after nearly two months

A missing 12-year-old Georgia girl has been found after a nearly two-month search that spanned more than a half-dozen states.

Police in Hall County, Georgia say Maria Gomez-Perez was found this week in Dover, Ohio with a 34-year-old man investigators believe she met online.

Police say the man, Antonio Agustin, drove to Gainesville, Georgia eight weeks ago to pick up the girl on May 29th after communicating with her on Facebook. The pair traveled back to Agustin's home in Dover, more than 600 miles away, the same day.

"We believe Maria had been communicating for a time with Mr. Augustin via Facebook Messenger and other online apps. Maria had indicated she was unhappy and wanted to leave home. We also know she had been communicating with other adult males online, telling them the same thing," Sheriff Gerald Couch said in a Friday morning news conference. "That said, I want to be clear that Maria is the victim here. She is only 12-years-old."

Couch said the break in the case came last week, when Maria contacted her father via Facebook Messenger. She had created a new Facebook page so she could reach out to him. She told him she was okay and would not be coming home. He relayed that information to investigators.

Members of the sheriff office's Special Investigations Unit obtained the IP address of the Facebook page and were able to find the phone number associated with the account and tracked it to a residence in Dover.

Investigators traveled up to Ohio and tracked the phone to the Dover City Park swimming pool where they "made visual contact" with Maria and Agustin.

"When the two got into a vehicle and traveled to a nearby shopping center parking lot, they, along with members of the Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office followed. They recovered Maria at the scene and Mr. Agustin was arrested," police said.

Maria was taken to a local hospital for a wellness check. She was reported to be in good physical condition and was taken home to Georgia.

Agustin is currently in custody on a rape charge, with more charges expected.

"Technology can be a wonderful thing. It helped us locate Maria," said Sheriff Couch. "But, technology can also be used for evil. It's why Maria was able to leave Gainesville with a stranger and travel nine hours from her home. So, please, know what your children are doing and who they’re communicating with. They're our most vulnerable citizens, and we need to keep them safe."