A man from Delaware has been arrested and charged with kidnapping an 11-year-old girl whom he met and talked to on various online gaming forums, including the popular platform Roblox, according to authorities per Huff Post. 

Darius Matylewich, 27, faces kidnapping and child endangerment charges for persuading an 11-year-old girl from Wayne, New Jersey, to leave her home.

The child was reported missing on September 10th, and was located in Bear, Delaware, about 140 miles away on the same day.

Local police apprehended Matylewich, extraditing him to New Jersey, where he’s currently in custody. Investigators found that he met the girl while playing video games online. 

A Roblox spokesperson clarified in an email to Huff Post that the suspect and the 11-year-old did not meet on their platform.

“Based on our internal investigation, the suspect and the victim did not meet on Roblox… We have not been contacted by law enforcement but we take the safety of our users, particularly our youngest users, incredibly seriously. We have reached out to law enforcement and are offering our help,”

they explained. 

Matylewich faces up to 30 years in state prison if convicted.

Roblox, launched in 2006 and now stands as one of the largest metaverse platforms. The company hosts millions of users and enforces strict regulations to maintain a safe environment.

“sexual content of any kind,”

according to reports.

“Users can also mute or block players that they come across in games and report inappropriate content or behavior using our Report Abuse system,”

the spokesperson said.

#Clique, what are your thoughts?