11-Year-Old Girl Kidnapped by Man She Met Playing Online Video Games: Police

Darius Matylewich.Photo:Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office

Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office

A 27-year-old man has been charged with kidnapping and child endangerment for allegedly luring an 11-year-old girl across state lines after communicating with her through online video games, according to authorities.

Darius Matylewich of Bear, Del., was arrested on Sept. 10, after the child was reported missing in Wayne, N.J. early that morning, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement released last Thursday.

He was playing an online video game with her prior to the alleged kidnapping, according to the statement.

The prosecutor’s office told NBC New York that there were multiple platforms through which the two communicated. One platform where he allegedly communicated with her was the popular gaming platform Roblox,NBC New YorkandUSATodayreport.

Police located the girl soon afterward in Bear and determined that she was allegedly in contact with Matylewich through an online video game, the statement said. He allegedly transported her across state lines to Delaware “without the knowledge or consent of her parents," according to the statement from prosecutors.

Delaware Police Department authorities arrested Matylewichin Bear before he was extradited to New Jersey, according to the statement.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Roblox said they concluded through an internal investigation that the two did not meet on their platform.

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The statement added that the gaming platform works “tirelessly to prevent grooming on our platform," and there are “thousands of moderators" enforcing community standard rules, “including zero tolerance for sexual content of any kind.”

Matylewich has not entered a plea but has retained an attorney, but PEOPLE was unable to immediately reach the lawyer.

A pretrial detention scheduled for Monday was adjourned following a request from the defense, the prosecutor’s office told PEOPLE.

source: people.com