Authorities say a child pornography investigation in North Carolina, United States, led to the arrests of the parents of a 14-year-old girl in South Africa.

The State Bureau of Investigation said in a news release that the investigation started with a Catawba County man found with child pornography.

The SBI says they found evidence on his cellphone he was paying for graphic pictures of a teen from South Africa.

Investigators in that country traced the payments to an address in Port Elizabeth and talked to a 14-year-old girl, who said her parents were sexually assaulting her and taking pictures and video.

South African authorities say the parents have been charged and the girl and her two brothers removed from their care.