Man Allegedly Lured 10-Year-Old Through Roblox. She Was Found in His Car 4 Hours from Home

A California girl was found safe after police say she was abducted by a man she had been communicating with through the video game Roblox.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office says the victim’s family, who live in Taft, Calif., reported her missing on April 13, noting that the child had last been seen the night before. KOVR reported that the victim is a 10-year-old girl.

Deputies say they spoke to friends who believed the girl could have been kidnapped.

The sheriff’s office alleges that further investigation revealed that the girl had been communicating with Matthew Macatuno Naval, 27, of Elk Grove, Calif.

Police suspect that Naval and the victim communicated through both Roblox, a popular online video game, and Discord, a messaging and voice chat app popular with gamers.

Naval was found with the girl in his car at a strip mall in Elk Grove, more than a four-hour drive from the girl’s home in Kern County, police allege.

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The child was taken into protective custody before being returned to her family, according to the sheriff’s office.

Naval was arrested and charged with kidnapping and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor child.

It is not immediately clear if he has retained an attorney or entered a plea.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.