Missing Connecticut girl found 740 miles from home in North Carolina, police say

A North Carolina man is facing kidnapping accusations after a girl reported missing in Connecticut was found at his home, according to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office.

The girl, who is under age 15, was recovered Monday in Ocean Isle Beach, nearly three weeks after she was last seen in Middletown, Connecticut, investigators say.

“Detectives developed information that the missing juvenile may be with Justin Newman ... after it was determined that Newman had ordered the juvenile a rideshare service from Middletown to a train station where the juvenile took a train to North Carolina,” the Middletown Police Department said in an April 28 news release.

“Shortly after notifying the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina, Middletown Police was informed that the juvenile was indeed located with Newman at his residence.”

The girl was taken into protective custody, officials said.

Investigators did not release details of how she knew 51-year-old Newman, who lives about 740 miles southwest of Middletown, maps show.

Newman has been charged with first degree kidnapping and multiple counts of statutory rape of a child between the ages of 12 and 15, Brunswick County court documents report.

Ocean Isle Beach is about a 175-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 9:08 AM with the headline "Missing Connecticut girl found 740 miles from home in North Carolina, police say."