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Robeson County

Robeson County: Two arrested after child human trafficking investigation, sheriff's office says

WCTI and The News & Observer, each citing the sheriff's office, split the arrests across Oct. 30 and Oct. 31. WBTW still groups both on Saturday. The charges are accusations.

UpdatedThis story has changed since it was first published.

By Alexandru Stanciu · Published · Updated

What we know

Confirmed

  • WBTW, citing the Robeson County Sheriff's Office, wrote that the office arrested two people Saturday after an ongoing investigation into child human trafficking and sexual assault. That Sunday file names Mohamed Abdo Nagi, 47, and Ericka N. Locklear, 42, and does not print a calendar date. The Saturday before that post was Oct. 31, 2026.Confirmed by Robeson County Sheriff's Office, as reported by WBTW (posted Nov. 1, 2026, 9:58 a.m. ET; WordPress modified 2026-11-02T07:59:33, copy still groups both arrests on Saturday)
  • WCTI, in a Monday 1:07 a.m. ET file also citing that office, wrote that Nagi, 47, of Raeford, was arrested Friday, Oct. 30, and that Locklear, 42, of Rowland, was arrested Saturday, Oct. 31.Confirmed by Robeson County Sheriff's Office, as reported by WCTI only for the split dates, Raeford, and Rowland
  • The News & Observer, citing an Oct. 31 sheriff's office news release, independently dated Nagi's arrest Oct. 30 and Locklear's Oct. 31, and also put Nagi in Raeford. That page did not print Rowland.Confirmed by Robeson County Sheriff's Office Oct. 31 news release, as reported by The News & Observer (Mark Price, Nov. 2, 2026, 7:51 a.m.)
  • WBTW listed Nagi's charges as statutory rape of a child by an adult, indecent liberties with a child, human trafficking of a child and sexual servitude of a child. WCTI and The News & Observer printed the same four counts.Confirmed by Robeson County Sheriff's Office, as reported independently by WBTW, WCTI, and The News & Observer
  • WBTW listed Locklear's charges as felony child abuse-sexual act, human trafficking of a child and sexual servitude of a child. The News & Observer used that same hyphenated first count. WCTI wrote "felony child abuse involving a sexual act" plus the last two counts.Confirmed by WBTW and The News & Observer for "felony child abuse-sexual act"; WCTI for "felony child abuse involving a sexual act"
  • WBTW wrote that both are held in the Robeson County Detention Center without bail. WCTI and The News & Observer independently wrote that both are held there without bond.Confirmed by WBTW for "without bail"; WCTI and The News & Observer for "without bond"
  • WCTI wrote that the office's Special Victims Unit investigated the case. WBTW and The News & Observer did not print that unit name.Confirmed by WCTI only
  • WBTW wrote that the case is still being investigated and asked anyone with information to contact the sheriff's office at 910-671-3100. WCTI independently printed that number.Confirmed by WBTW; WCTI
  • Yahoo carried the same WBTW file, bylined Sebastian Fall, with a stamp of 2:58 p.m. UTC Sunday. The wording we read there matched the station's WordPress copy, including names, ages, the two charge lists, the jail line, and the tip number. Yahoo did not add a town name.Confirmed by Yahoo syndication of the WBTW story (Nov. 1, 2026)
  • The News & Observer printed two sentences it said came from an affidavit. The first, with ellipses in that newspaper, read, "During the period beginning September 1, 2026, and ending September 30 ... Ericka Nichole Locklear, unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did knowingly subject ... an 11-year-old minor to sexual servitude by arranging for and providing the child to Mohamed A. Nagi." The second was, "At the time the defendant committed the offense, the defendant was the parent of the child." WBTW and WCTI did not print those lines, the September span, the middle name Nichole, or an age for the child.Confirmed by affidavit, as quoted by The News & Observer only
  • The sheriff's office website returned a Cloudflare block from this newsroom on Nov. 1 and again on Nov. 2. We have not opened the Oct. 31 release or the affidavit ourselves.Confirmed by Triangle Local check of robesoncountysonc.gov, Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, 2026

Alleged or reported

  • Nagi committed statutory rape of a child by an adult, indecent liberties with a child, human trafficking of a child and sexual servitude of a child.charges listed by WBTW, WCTI, and The News & Observer from the Robeson County Sheriff's Office. A charge is an accusation; Nagi is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court
  • Locklear committed felony child abuse-sexual act, human trafficking of a child and sexual servitude of a child.charges listed by WBTW and The News & Observer from the Robeson County Sheriff's Office (WCTI's first count used "involving a sexual act"). A charge is an accusation; Locklear is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court
  • From Sept. 1 through Sept. 30, 2026, Locklear, as parent of the child, subjected an 11-year-old minor to sexual servitude by arranging for and providing the child to Nagi.affidavit language as quoted by The News & Observer only. WBTW and WCTI did not print this. A charge is an accusation; both people are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court

Still unknown

  • A written sheriff's office release or affidavit we can read on the office's own website
  • A street, store, or other place in the county. WBTW named only the county and the detention center. WCTI added Raeford and Rowland as hometowns. The News & Observer put Nagi in Raeford and did not name a crime scene
  • Whether either person has a lawyer, and whether a first court date has been set
  • Why WBTW still groups both arrests on Saturday after WCTI and The News & Observer printed Oct. 30 and Oct. 31
  • Whether more charges will be filed

What this means for you

Public safety
A charge is an accusation. Both people are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. This story is not an official or emergency notice. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

Instructions from Robeson County Sheriff's Office, as reported by WBTW and WCTI

This site is not the Robeson County Sheriff's Office. WBTW and WCTI wrote that the office asked anyone with information to call 910-671-3100. To report suspected child abuse that is not an emergency, contact your county department of social services. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Robeson County, the sheriff's office arrested two people after an inquiry into child human trafficking and sexual assault. WBTW, WCTI and The News & Observer each cite that office. The charges are accusations.

WBTW's Sunday file named Mohamed Abdo Nagi, 47, and Ericka N. Locklear, 42, and placed the pair on Saturday, without a calendar date. That Saturday was Oct. 31, 2026. A Monday recheck of the station's WordPress copy left that grouping in place.

WCTI, posted at 1:07 a.m. Monday, wrote that Nagi, of Raeford, was booked Friday, Oct. 30, and that Locklear, of Rowland, was booked Saturday, Oct. 31. The News & Observer, citing an Oct. 31 news release from the office, independently used those two dates and also put Nagi in Raeford. It did not print Rowland.

WBTW listed Nagi's counts as statutory rape of a child by an adult, indecent liberties with a child, human trafficking of a child and sexual servitude of a child. WCTI and the newspaper printed the same four.

For Locklear, WBTW and the newspaper used "felony child abuse-sexual act" plus those last two counts. WCTI's first count read "felony child abuse involving a sexual act."

WBTW wrote that both are held in the Robeson County Detention Center without bail. WCTI and the newspaper independently used "without bond."

WCTI alone wrote that a Special Victims Unit handled the inquiry.

The News & Observer alone quoted an affidavit. With the ellipses that page printed, one sentence read, "During the period beginning September 1, 2026, and ending September 30 ... Ericka Nichole Locklear, unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did knowingly subject ... an 11-year-old minor to sexual servitude by arranging for and providing the child to Mohamed A. Nagi." The next quoted line was, "At the time the defendant committed the offense, the defendant was the parent of the child." WBTW and WCTI omitted those lines.

A charge is an accusation. Each person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. We have not found a public statement from either defendant or from a lawyer for them.

Yahoo carried the same WBTW file. The wording we read there matched the station, including the names, ages, both charge lists, the jail line and the tip number.

The office website returned a block from this newsroom on Sunday and again Monday. We have not opened the Oct. 31 release or the affidavit on the office's own channel.

WBTW wrote that the case remains open and asked anyone with information to call 910-671-3100. WCTI independently printed that number.

This file does not name the child. Triangle Local is not the sheriff's office. If a child is in danger, call 911. To report suspected abuse that is not an emergency, contact your county department of social services.

Related coverage

What we don't know yet

A written release or charging paper we can read ourselves. A crime-scene address. Whether either person has a lawyer, and whether a first court date has been set.

Timeline

  • Friday, Oct. 30, 2026: WCTI and the Observer date Nagi's arrest. WBTW does not print this day.
  • Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026: WBTW groups the pair that day. WCTI and the newspaper date only Locklear then and say the office issued a news release.
  • Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, 9:58 a.m. ET: WBTW posts. Yahoo carries the same file at 2:58 p.m. UTC.
  • Monday, 1:07 a.m. ET: WCTI posts the split dates, Raeford, Rowland, and the unit name.
  • Monday, 7:51 a.m.: The Observer posts, with the affidavit quotes.

What happens next

We will update this story if the office posts a release we can read, if a court date is set, or if the charge lists change.

Photos

Text-only. No mugshots. The newspaper's stock image is not used.

Why it matters

Two people face child-trafficking and sexual-assault charges in Robeson County. Readers need the split between WBTW's Saturday grouping and the Oct. 30–31 dates on WCTI and The News & Observer, and that the affidavit lines appear only in the newspaper.

Updates

  1. Nov 2, 2026, 2:20 PM

    WCTI and The News & Observer, each citing the sheriff's office, date Nagi's arrest Oct. 30 and Locklear's Oct. 31. WCTI alone puts Locklear in Rowland and names the Special Victims Unit. The News & Observer alone quotes an affidavit that uses "11-year-old minor" and "parent of the child." WBTW's copy still groups both arrests on Saturday.

  2. Nov 1, 2026, 5:50 PM

    WBTW, citing the Robeson County Sheriff's Office, reports Saturday arrests of Mohamed Abdo Nagi, 47, and Ericka N. Locklear, 42. Yahoo carried the same file. No independent second newsroom yet.

Sources

  1. 2 arrested after child human trafficking investigation, Robeson County Sheriff's Office says (WBTW / News13, Sebastian Fall, posted Nov. 1, 2026, 9:58:13 a.m. ET, date_gmt 2026-11-01T14:58:13, WordPress modified 2026-11-02T07:59:33: on Saturday, the Robeson County Sheriff's Office arrested two individuals after an ongoing investigation into child human trafficking and sexual assault; Mohamed Abdo Nagi, 47, and Ericka N. Locklear, 42; Nagi charged with statutory rape of a child by an adult, indecent liberties with a child, human trafficking of a child, and sexual servitude of a child, held in the Robeson County Detention Center without bail; Locklear charged with felony child abuse-sexual act, human trafficking of a child, and sexual servitude of a child, also held there without bail; case still being investigated; 910-671-3100. Rechecked via the station's public WordPress JSON on Nov. 2; the Saturday grouping was unchanged. Did not name a town or a child. Text-only; no WBTW photos or mugshots used.)

    Official sourcePublished by Robeson County Sheriff's Office, via WBTW · Checked Nov 2, 2026, 2:15 PM

  2. Two arrested in Robeson County child trafficking investigation (WCTI, News 12 Staff, Mon, November 2, 2026 at 1:07 a.m.: Robeson County Sheriff's Office; Mohamed Abdo Nagi, 47, of Raeford, arrested Friday, Oct. 30; statutory rape of a child by an adult, indecent liberties with a child, human trafficking of a child and sexual servitude of a child; Ericka N. Locklear, 42, of Rowland, arrested Saturday, Oct. 31; felony child abuse involving a sexual act, human trafficking of a child and sexual servitude of a child; both held at the Robeson County Detention Center without bond; Special Victims Unit investigated; 910-671-3100; charges are allegations, presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Did not print the affidavit, September dates, or a child age. Text-only; no WCTI photos or mugshots used.)

    Official sourcePublished by Robeson County Sheriff's Office, via WCTI · Checked Nov 2, 2026, 2:15 PM

  3. 11-year-old was being 'held in sexual servitude,' NC sheriff says. Two charged (The News & Observer, Mark Price, Nov. 2, 2026, 7:51 a.m.: Oct. 31 Robeson County Sheriff's Office news release; Locklear, 42, arrested Oct. 31, felony child abuse-sexual act, human trafficking of a child, and sexual servitude of a child, held without bond; Mohamed Abdo Nagi, 47, of Raeford, arrested Oct. 30, statutory rape of a child by an adult, indecent liberties with a child, human trafficking of a child, and sexual servitude of a child, held without bond. Affidavit quoted, 'During the period beginning September 1, 2026, and ending September 30 ... Ericka Nichole Locklear, unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did knowingly subject ... an 11-year-old minor to sexual servitude by arranging for and providing the child to Mohamed A. Nagi.' Second quoted line, 'At the time the defendant committed the offense, the defendant was the parent of the child.' Did not print Rowland or Special Victims Unit. Getty stock image is not used. Text-only.)

    Official sourcePublished by Robeson County Sheriff's Office, via The News & Observer · Checked Nov 2, 2026, 2:15 PM

  4. 2 arrested after child human trafficking investigation, Robeson County Sheriff's Office says (Yahoo syndication of the WBTW file, byline Sebastian Fall, stamp Sun, November 1, 2026 at 2:58 p.m. UTC: same Saturday arrest line, same two names and ages, same two charge lists, same detention-center and no-bail lines, same 910-671-3100 tip. Matched the WBTW WordPress copy we read. Did not add a town. Text-only.)

    Published by WBTW, via Yahoo · Checked Nov 1, 2026, 5:49 PM

  5. Robeson County Sheriff's Office website (fetched Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, 2026: robesoncountysonc.gov returned a Cloudflare challenge from this newsroom; the Oct. 31 release and affidavit were not opened here.)

    Official sourcePublished by Robeson County Sheriff's Office · Checked Nov 2, 2026, 2:15 PM

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