Grand jury to hear case involving N.C. girl rescued using TikTok hand gestures

Nita Johnson, The Sentinel Echo, London, Ky.
·3 min read

Nov. 17—A North Carolina man who transported a missing female juvenile to Ohio and was arrested in London Nov. 4 will face a Laurel grand jury later this month.

Kidnapping charges were added to James Herbert Brick, 61, of Cherokee, North Carolina, during his preliminary hearing in Laurel District Court last week. Brick was originally charged with unlawful imprisonment and possession of matter portraying a minor in a sexual performance. His bond was also raised from $10,000 cash to $50,000 cash. Evidence was presented against Brick during the preliminary hearing, with the case being sent to the circuit court level where a Laurel grand jury will hear evidence and determine whether Brick will be indicted. He was ordered to appear in Laurel Circuit Court on Nov. 19, which is the day indictments will be returned.

Brick was arrested on Nov. 4 after the 16-year-old female passenger used hand signals of being in distress as the couple traveled along southbound Interstate 75. The hand gesture is known to TikTok users and displays the whole hand with the palm facing outward, then folds the four fingers over the thumb. A motorist traveling along by Brick's Toyota recognized the signal and contacted 9-1-1, then followed the vehicle toward London to keep law enforcement abreast of the suspect vehicle.

Local law enforcement were positioned along I-75 and conducted a traffic stop, at which time the female — who had been reported missing from Asheville, N.C. — stated that she had gone with Brick willingly. Brick then traveled through Tennessee and Kentucky to Ohio where he has relatives. But the two left Ohio after Brick's family members realized the female was underage and had been reported missing from North Carolina.

The TikTok distress signal was something new to local law enforcement, according to Laurel Sheriff's Deputy and Public Affairs Officer Gilbert Acciardo.

"This was a new thing for us," Acciardo said of the department. "None of us knew what that meant. We had two unmarked cruisers near them on the interstate and she was still making gestures when we pulled them over, so we're thinking that at some point she started fearing for her safety."

Acciardo said the female juvenile knew Brick prior to this incident and went with him willingly. Her parents, however, did not realize that she was with Brick and reported her missing.

"Nobody knew where she was," Acciardo said. "When we notified them that we'd found her, that was the first idea they knew of her whereabouts in three days. We released her to her parents that weekend."

Acciardo said it was fortunate that another motorist recognized the distress sign and contacted police.

"That person called 9-1-1 and then followed them along the interstate, giving us updates on the mile markers," he said. "We had officers at the Exit 41 ramp, where we stopped them."

Acciardo said often times in law enforcement work, the outcome of investigations and missing persons does not have a positive resolution.

"This was a good resolution," he added. "Everything clicked together for us to save her. A lot of people didn't know what that distress signal was, but with all the coverage this case has gotten, a lot of people know it now."