Two girls who met a man after playing Roblox with him have been saved by cops
The 16-year-old and her younger sister, 10, fled their home 10 days ago.
They reportedly travelled about 700 miles to meet the man on his request.
READ MORE: Schoolboy 19, killed by peer over childhood photo with his girlfriend
When their parents noticed they were missing, they tried to contact them but their phones were turned off.
Within hours, missing persons alerts were issued, sparking growing concern for the girls’ safety.
They travelled from Nezahualcóyotl to Campeche, in Mexico.
The authorities learned that the sisters had been chatting with a man in Campeche via the online game Roblox.
Local cops went to the location where the girls were expected to arrive, but they did not find them nor the suspect who contacted them.
The search continued, but went cold for several days as they desperately tried to track down the minors.
In the early hours of Saturday morning (17 Jan), the police found the sisters at the Eastern Bus Terminal in Mexico City, about to board a bus.
The sisters arrived at the terminal after allegedly returning from Campeche, as reported by Need To Know.
Personnel from the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Mexico rescued them and immediately returned them to their parents.
So far, it has not been confirmed who convinced them to flee, but the authorities are already investigating whether a network of child traffickers are using online games to entrap minors.
The investigation is ongoing.
Roblox has over 111 million users worldwide and it’s estimated that 40% are minors.
A police cybersecurity specialist said: “They first make contact through the game’s chat and then invite them to talk on Discord.”
On these platforms, criminals use friendly avatars, give away virtual gifts, and establish a relationship of trust until they convince the child to run away.
The authorities issued a series of recommendations to promote the safe, healthy and responsible use of video games among children.
These include making sure the minor is using the game in a balanced and constructive way, establish schedules for using online games, choosing age-appropriate content, and supervising their activities.
READ MORE: Ukraine war volunteer dies in paragliding accident shortly after returning home
