UPDATE: ATHENS, Ala. (WGNS) — Investigators with the Limestone County Sheriff's Office have arrested a man accused of traveling from Franklin, Tennessee, to Limestone County after allegedly engaging in sexually explicit online communications with a child and arranging an in-person meeting for illegal sexual activity.
According to Limestone County officials, 26-year-old Kong Ngundeng Pal, a citizen of Beirut, Lebanon, was taken into custody following an investigation into the electronic solicitation of a child. Authorities said the case began on or about January 20, 2026, when a child in Limestone County was contacted online by Pal, who was then living in Franklin, Tennessee. Investigators determined Pal engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the child and made plans to meet in person for unlawful sex acts.
Sheriff’s officials said Pal left Franklin during the early morning hours of Sunday, January 18, traveling south along Interstate 65 and arriving in Limestone County around 2 a.m. Limestone County includes the city of Athens and portions of Huntsville, roughly an hour and 20 minutes south of Franklin.
Once in Limestone County, authorities allege Pal instructed the child to leave their residence, picked the child up, and transported them to another location. Shortly after, the child’s family realized the juvenile was missing and contacted the sheriff’s office to report the child as missing.
Investigators said Pal later abandoned the child in cold weather conditions and fled Limestone County. It remains unclear whether Pal knew at that time that the child had already been reported missing, but multiple agencies quickly mobilized, activating criminal investigators and special operations personnel to locate the suspect.
With assistance from the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit, the Franklin Police Department, and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office ICAC Unit, investigators identified Pal as the suspect, according to Limestone County officials.
After fleeing Alabama, Pal was located in Franklin, Tennessee, where investigators said the online communication with the child originated. He was arrested in Williamson County on Wednesday, January 28, extradited back to Limestone County, and charged with Electronic Solicitation of a Child and Traveling to Meet a Child for Unlawful Sex Acts. A judge set Pal’s bond at $1.5 million.
As of Thursday night, the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the investigation remains active and ongoing, with additional charges possible as evidence continues to be reviewed. Pal remains in custody at the Limestone County Jail and was booked at approximately 6:45 p.m. on January 28.
Limestone County Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin said crimes against children will not be tolerated in the county and praised the coordinated response that led to the arrest, emphasizing the role of the child’s family and the cooperation between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
MORE DETAILS: Joshua McLaughlin, Limestone County Sheriff, issued the following statement: “Crimes against children will never be tolerated in Limestone County. Anyone who attempts to exploit or harm a child should know that we will pursue them relentlessly and hold them fully accountable. I am incredibly proud of the dedication and professionalism shown by our dispatchers, investigators and deputies, as well as the swift action taken by the child’s family. This case also reflects the strength of our partnerships with our federal, state, and Tennessee law enforcement agencies, whose cooperation was critical in bringing this offender to justice. We will continue to use every available resource to protect our children and stand firm against those who prey upon them.”
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