A 15-year-old girl from Decatur, Alabama, who ran away last week, has been found safe in White County, Tennessee, following a coordinated law enforcement rescue.

Brian Schalk, a former Van Buren County deputy, was taken into custody and charged with statutory rape and harboring. Investigators tracked Schalk’s vehicle using Flock license-plate reader cameras, while the FBI provided a suspected location in White County.

After initially finding no answer at the home, deputies returned the following morning with a search warrant, recovered the teenager safely, and transported Schalk to the White County Jail.

Additional charges against Schalk are anticipated, and the victim has been reunited with her family. Highlighting the dangers of online grooming, the teenager’s mother urged parents via social media to closely monitor their children’s digital communications, emphasizing that trafficking threats are real and swift.