Delaware man accused of kidnapping 11-year-old girl he met playing video game
10/16/2023 2:37 pm PDT
WAYNE, N.J. (TCD) -- A 27-year-old man allegedly abducted an 11-year-old girl and transported her from New Jersey to Delaware without her parents’ knowledge or consent.
According to the Wayne Police Department, on Sept. 10 at approximately 6:45 a.m., officers were called to the area of U.S. Route 46 and Old Turnpike Road in reference to a missing 11-year-old child. She was soon found in Bear, Delaware.
Upon further investigation, police learned Darius Matylewich had met the victim while playing an online video game, identified as Roblox by WPVI-TV. Matylewich allegedly took the girl 135 miles from Wayne, New Jersey, to Bear, Delaware, where she was found.
On Sept. 10, officers from the New Castle County, Delaware Police Department arrested Matylewich, and he was extradited to New Jersey.
According to police, Matylewich faces 10 to 30 years in New Jersey state prison if convicted. The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office filed a motion for pretrial detention, and Matylewich was scheduled to appear in court Monday, Oct. 16.
In a statement obtained by WPVI, Roblox said, "We work tirelessly to prevent grooming on our platform and have a team of thousands of moderators who enforce a strict set of community standards."
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