A California man was arrested after a two-year investigation by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office into the attempted solicitation of a child he met through an online gaming platform.
The investigation began in June 2023 when deputies responded to a Palm Coast residence after a concerned parent discovered inappropriate and sexually explicit conversations on his child’s iPad between the child and an unknown male.
Discovery and Initial Investigation
During the initial investigation, deputies determined the child had met the suspect on the online gaming platform Roblox. The suspect then convinced the child to engage in conversation outside of the gaming platform, first on the messaging app Discord, then eventually through instant messaging after the suspect gave the victim his cellphone number.
“Fortunately, this parent acted as the sheriff in their home by reviewing their child’s messages and contacting law enforcement immediately after discovering a stranger was attempting to take advantage of their child,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Cases like this are why it is incredibly important for parents to be aware of the dangers of the internet and monitor their children’s online activity. These online platforms provide predators an avenue to engage with unsuspecting children and groom them so exploitation can occur.”…