A five-year-old boy who was reported missing in Alabama, United States in 2002, has been found 13 years later in Ohio.

Julian Hernandez, 18, was trying to apply for college, when he realised that his Social Security number did not match his name.

A school counsellor, who was trying to help, then found out that Julian was listed as missing by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, District Attorney Brandon Falls in Jefferson County, Alabama.

FBI's Cleveland Division's Special Agent Vicki Anderson said someone tipped them off about the teenager, reported New York Daily News. The authorities then located and identified Julian as the missing child.

The authorities suspected from the start that his biological father, Bobby Hernandez, who was his non-custodial parent, was behind the disappearance.

According to AL.com, Hernandez was supposed to take his son to school but withdrew cash from his bank accounts and fled, taking some of the boy's possessions with them.

Julian and his father were living in Cleveland, Ohio, under assumed names with a woman and two other children, officials said.

Hernandez was arrested and subsequently charged in Cuyahoga County Court in connection with the abduction, Vestavia Hills Police Department said in a Facebook post.

"Hernandez will also face charges in Jefferson County for the abduction from 2002. The investigation is ongoing and Hernandez may face further charges at a later date," they added.

A representative for Julian's mother, who refused to be interviewed and has requested privacy, said in a statement: "Our family was overjoyed this week to locate Julian and learn that he is safe. We want to thank everyone for their prayers and support during Julian's disappearance."