A Gainesville man was arrested on Tuesday for the alleged molestation and rape of a young North Carolina girl in October 2021.
Hall County Sheriff's Office public information officer B.J. Williams said Jose Manuel Castillo, Jr., 21, was charged with kidnapping, rape and child molestation.
Castillo was accused of traveling to Franklin, North Carolina where he forced the girl to travel with him to Gainesville. The girl was under the age of 14. Castillo brought the girl to his home in Gainesville where he committed the alleged crimes.
Warrants were issued for Castillo's arrest on May 25, while he was arrested on Tuesday. He was being held at the Hall County Jail without bond as of Wednesday morning.
Williams said Castillo and the victim met on social media. The investigation took several months due to the involvement of two different law enforcement agencies in two different states.
