The case of a missing 16-year-old girl from the USA is a cautionary example of online contacts, which could also be resolved through World of Warcraft.
In World of Warcraft, many players find lifelong good friends. However, not all contacts are always as good as they seem at first glance. The game has now helped to clarify the case of a missing girl. She had logged into the game while staying with a 31-year-old man several hundred kilometers away.
What happened? A 16-year-old girl from Ohio was reported missing shortly after Christmas. The girl was located many hundreds of kilometers away in the US state of Florida, where she was staying in the house of a 31-year-old man. The girl was found due to her account in World of Warcraft (via huffpost.com).
How did WoW help? Investigators learned the girl’s location through World of Warcraft. She had logged into Blizzard’s MMORPG at the man’s place where she was staying. According to the developers, they were able to locate the address.
What happened during the arrest? When the investigators rang the man’s doorbell, he initially denied knowing the girl but then led them to the door. The young woman was described by the officers as “frustrated but cooperative.”
The arrest provided further information about the relationship between the 31-year-old and the girl. During his interrogation, the man confirmed that he had a “romantic relationship” with the girl. He knew the girl’s age and had planned to hide her and later “make her his wife.”
The contact between him and the girl had come about through the chat software Discord and primarily took place there. They gave each other WoW-related pet names, such as “My Hot Tier DH Tank” or “little Wolf.” Several messages exchanged between them were “of a romantic nature.”
On December 27, the man drove to the girl and picked her up.
The officers also noted some bruises on the man’s neck, which are likely “hickeys” from the girl, which she confirmed.
The officers also noted that the “open sexual behavior” was not “normal behavior” between a child and an adult.
What charges is the man facing now? The man must now face three charges in court:
- Sexual activities with a minor
- Interference with custody
- Harboring an unmarried minor
While the first two points are self-explanatory, the third point refers to a law that exists in many countries. In Florida, it is illegal to provide shelter to an unmarried minor for more than 24 hours without promptly informing the guardians or relevant authorities.
