A newborn girl abducted from a hospital 18 years ago by a woman posing as a nurse has been found alive.

Kamiyah Mobley was taken from her mother at a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1998.

Police say in the 18 years since, they have followed up more than 2,500 leads and tips relating to the case.

:: Girl stolen at birth says 'I love you' to 'abductor' who raised her

Two new leads last year from the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children led cold-case detectives to Walterboro in South Carolina, where Kamiyah was eventually found.


Image: Police released a photo of the accused and sketches from 1998

A DNA test confirmed her real identity.

Sheriff Mike Williams said the teenager had grown up believing the woman who abducted her was her biological mother.

"Last night we received confirmation that the young woman that we contacted in South Carolina is indeed Kamiyah Mobley," he said.

"In the interest of reducing any further trauma to this young woman, I am not revealing her name, the name she's lived under for all these years.

"Please remember she was abducted as a newborn and she's going to need time and assistance to process all of this and we are respecting her privacy and we ask that you do the same.

"She appears to be a normal 18-year-old woman. She's taking it was well as you can imagine. She has a lot to process."

Police say Gloria Williams, aged 51, has been charged with kidnapping and interference in custody. She will appear in court in Jacksonville.

Sheriff Williams said he has spoken with Kamiyah's biological family.

Image: A $250,000 reward was offered for the baby's safe return

"They were overwhelmed with emotion," he said.

Sheriff Williams said he does not known when Ms Mobley might contact her birth family.

He said she is only beginning to come to terms with the fact that her true identity was stolen from her.

Her mother, Shanara Mobley, told the Florida Times-Union newspaper on the 10th anniversary of the kidnapping that on every one of her daughter's birthdays, she wrapped a piece of cake in foil.

"It's stressful to wake up every day, knowing that your child is out there and you have no way to reach her or talk to her," she told the newspaper in 2008.