Guatemalan national sentenced to life in prison for abduction, assault of Gainesville girl
Antonio Augustin (Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office)
DOVER, Ohio - A Guatemalan national accused of taking a 12-year-old Gainesville girl to his home in Ohio entered a plea deal earlier this month.
Antonio Agustin-Ailon, 34, was indicted for rape, gross sexual imposition, pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person, and interference with custody by a grand jury in Tuscarawas County this past August.
Antonio Agustin-Ailon sebtenced to life
What we know:
On March 10, Agustin-Ailon changed his plea to guilty, after initially pleading not guilty by reason of insanity late last year.
According to the Tuscarawas County District Attorney’s Office in Ohio, he was sentenced on Monday to life in prison with the first 15 years to be served in full.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear if he still faces charges in Hall County.
The Hall County District Attorney’s Office told FOX 5 it would be conferring with the sheriff and the victim’s family in the coming days to determine how to proceed in the case.
Missing 12-year-old Gainesville girl found in Ohio
The backstory:
Investigators said the 34-year-old man met the 12-year-old Gainesville girl online and eventually took her to Dover, Ohio, where he lives, around May 29, 2024. The girl’s disappearance sparked a nearly two-month search and made local, regional, and national headlines. The girl eventually contacted her family through Facebook Messenger, telling them she was "OK" and asking them to stop looking for her. Detectives were able to track the IP address used in those messages to a phone in Ohio.
Four Hall County sheriff's investigators then traveled to Ohio and spotted the missing girl and suspect at a city swimming pool on July 25. Law enforcement officials followed them to a nearby store, where he was taken into custody, and she was recovered safely. Prosecutors initially wanted Agustin-Ailon to be extradited to Georgia to face charges, but they believe the more serious crimes occurred in Ohio, where most of the witnesses to those crimes live.
SEE ALSO:
- Man arrested in connection to 12-year-old Gainesville girl to remain in Ohio for now
- Man accused of taking 12-year-old Gainesville girl indicted on rape charges
- Man arrested after disappearance of Hall County girl appears on court
The Source: FOX 5 spoke with the Tuscarawas County District Attorney’s Office in Ohio and the Hall County District Attorney's Office for this story. Court records obtained from the Tuscarawas County Clerk of Court's Office were also used. This story is being reported out of Atlanta.