A 27-year-old man from California has been arrested after allegedly kidnapping a 10-year-old girl he met through the popular online platforms Roblox and Discord, police said.
The man, Matthew Macatuno Naval, was taken into custody on Sunday and faces charges of kidnapping and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. He is currently being held on $250,000 bail, with a court hearing scheduled for Friday.
The case began when the young girl’s family in Taft, California, reported her missing. Investigators quickly learned she had been communicating online with Naval. Authorities tracked the pair down to Elk Grove, a city more than 250 miles away from her home.
Thanks to the coordination between local law enforcement in Kern County and Elk Grove, the child was found safe on Sunday afternoon.
Officials are urging parents to stay alert when it comes to their children’s internet activity, especially on games and messaging apps. In this case, the girl reportedly met Naval through Roblox, a gaming platform popular among kids, and continued chatting with him on Discord, a private messaging app.
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“Parents, monitor all electronic usage and know who your children are communicating with,” the sheriff’s department said. “Many apps and games have messaging capabilities and present the same, if not more, risk as traditional social media.”
CNN has reached out to both Roblox and Discord for comment. Roblox’s CEO, Dave Baszucki, recently told the BBC that the company is taking stronger steps to keep kids safe, including monitoring and filtering content and, if needed, working directly with law enforcement.
This incident is a chilling reminder that even platforms designed for fun can carry hidden dangers. Authorities hope it encourages more families to talk to their children about online safety and to be more involved in their digital lives.
