LAUREL COUNTY, Kentucky — When you think of TikTok, things like viral dances, internet challenges and entertaining videos probably come to mind. Now, police are saying the social media site may have helped save a young girl's life.
According to detectives, 61-year-old James Brick abducted a 16-year-old girl from North Carolina on Tuesday morning. The suspect drove her to Ohio and was headed south when someone spotted the teenage victim using a hand signal that has gained attention in TikTok videos.
"We don't know how long coming down the interstate from Ohio that she had been doing this to other motorists hoping that they would notice she was in distress. But finally, somebody did recognize," Laurel County, Kentucky sheriff's deputy Gilbert Acciardo said.
When that person realized what was happening, police quickly tracked the vehicle down and arrested Brick. He's charged with "unlawful imprisonment" and "possession of a minor in sexual matter."
As for the hand signal, Family and Child Abuse Prevention Center CEO Dr. Christie Jenkins explained, "It's really easy. You hold your hand up, put your thumb in and you push it down. You keep doing this until somebody notices it."
The sign is a call for help. Jenkins said it cries out, "I need help, I'm in distress and someone is being violent toward me," all without verbally saying a word.
The simple hand movement started as a campaign in Canada during the COVID-19 quarantine.
"There was a huge influx of domestic violence, not only domestic violence but the severity was so much greater," Jenkins said. "So, they came up with this hand signal that was a non-verbal way to tell people."
"So many folks have been on Zoom lately, especially our children. Our children could be doing a Zoom call with their teacher and do this. You can do it and nobody behind you can see it."
Jenkins went on to say the domestic violence issue continues to worsen, noting more people are out in public and those trained to do so are spotting the signs of abuse.
"We're definitely getting a bigger increase in reporting now that kids are back in school, they're back in activities. But also, folks are going back to work and there's a lot of reporting," Jenkins said.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are several resources available to help: