Men charged with human trafficking face $5 million bonds after Amber Alert in Harnett County

Editor's note: WRAL News is no longer reporting the girl's name to protect her identity in light of the human trafficking charges.

Bonds were increased to $5 million on Friday for two men charged in connection with an Amber Alert issued earlier this week in Harnett County.

On Thursday, Sheriff Wayne Coats announced the arrests of Elihue Martin Mahler, 31, and Austyn Lee Cole, 23, in connection to an Amber Alert issued for a 15-year-old girl from Spring Lake, who was missing for two days before she was found in Dare County, a half-state away. 

Authorities canceled the Amber Alert for the teenage girl Thursday after she was found safe in Kitty Hawk. Family members also posted on social media that she was safe.

Mahler, of Virginia Beach, and Cole, of Kitty Hawk, both face the same charges of human trafficking a child victim, felony kidnapping, felony conspiracy to kidnap and felony conspiracy human trafficking.

Prosecutors said Mahler took the teen to Virginia Beach before returning with her to North Carolina with the plan to turn her over to Cole in Kitty Hawk so the two could engage in sex.

"Information is developing still with what may or may not have happened while she was in the vehicle in Virginia with him (Mahler)," District Attorney Suzanne Matthews said.

Mahler appeared in court Friday around 11:15 a.m. with no attorney, choosing to represent himself. Cole appeared next and was assigned a court-appointed attorney. 

"The 15-year-old juvenile, who never indicated she was anything but 15 years old, was communicating with adult males on the internet," Matthews said. "It is clear that Mr. Cole had every intention of having the juvenile in his custody. That the intention was for sexual intercourse."

Both suspects spoke during the hearing.

"I was not planning on doing anything," Cole said Friday in court.

"Nothing that’s been spoke so far is the truth. All of this is fabricated. It’s straight lies," Mahler said in court. "I understand how I’m being depicted does not look great at all but my intention, I have nothing but… I love every human being on this planet."

A judge increased both men's bonds to $5 million and set their next court date for March 11. 

The District Attorney and the girls' family declined to comment to WRAL on Friday. 

The Currituck County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team executed a search warrant at 6 a.m. Thursday along Poor Ridge Road in Kitty Hawk and arrested Cole. Authorities did not find the girl during the execution of the search warrant, according to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office said an investigation led to warrants out of Virginia for Mahler for his part in the alleged kidnapping and trafficking. When Mahler drove his vehicle to the Poor Ridge Road area in Kitty Hawk, the SWAT team arrested him and found the girl.

Court records showed Mahler's bond was set at $1.5 million and Cole's bond was set at $1 million prior to Friday's court hearing.

Coats said the girl’s mother had a message.

“Obviously, she’s very elated that her daughter is being returned back this afternoon, and she wanted to thank all the agencies that were involved with this,” Coats said.

Coats said the girl’s family asked for privacy.

“I would like to commend each agency that played a role in bringing this investigation to a successful completion,” Harnett County District Attorney Suzanne Matthews said. “It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of each detective, officer and agent that are standing here reporting a positive outcome for this family.”

Philip VanWyngarden, an FBI assistant special agent in charge, said the men interacted with the girl online.

“This ultimately led to a transition from the online space to the real world, which can obviously be extremely tragic and have significant consequences,” VanWyngarden said.

Chadrick Barefoot, a member of the State Bureau of Investigation Computer Crimes Child Exploitation Task Force, warned about the access electronics offer for child predators.

"It's not just one, it's social media, it's gaming platforms, it's any electronic communication application that allows for communication. And unfortunately our technology is great in many ways, but it comes with risks, and that's kind of the problem. We have to be very diligent with our children, to educate them and supervise them in this digital space."

VanWyngarden did not specify how the girl wound up with Mahler and Cole. However, VanWyngarden did say this about child victims.

"What I will say is that no minor goes willingly," VanWyngarden said. "So, anytime you've got a minor who engaging with a predator online, and they do something in the real world, or, for that matter, they do something online, they are minors. They are victims. They're being manipulated."

VanWyngarden said the Amber Alert for the 15-year-old Harnett County girl was not related to the Amber Alert issued for a 15-year-old girl missing from Siler City.