The FBI was able to locate a missing girl with the help of a Nintendo Switch. The now 15-year-old child was found after the FBI used information regarding how she signed into her account to download a new game.
FBI Used a Nintendo Switch to Track 14-Year-Old Missing Girl After She Was Abducted
According to Kotaku, the FBI reportedly used a Nintendo Switch to gain clues about the missing 14-year-old girl. The teen was missing for more than 10 days, but with the console's help, they were able to locate her.
ABC15 reported that the unidentified girl disappeared from her home in Virginia on August 3, 2022. Eleven days after she disappeared, court records show the FBI and police in Tolleson, Arizona, surrounded the apartment of the man who allegedly abducted her and was arrested.
She was only rescued because the FBI obtained the Nintendo Switch's IP address, leading them to the man's apartment complex.
Ethan Roberts Met the Girl Online and Traveled to Virginia to Get Her
According to the teen's family and friends, the girl, from Virginia, was a homebody, which made it very unlikely that she tried to run away.
However, the girl met Ethan Roberts, a then-28-year-old man, over Omegle in January 2022. Omegle is a social media platform that randomly connects people via one-on-one video chats.
Roberts had befriended the teen and engaged in sexually explicit conversations with her for at least seven months. According to reports, Roberts sent nude photos to the girl and requested pictures of her to be sent back.
Ethan Roberts Traveled 2,000 Miles to Get Her and Bring Her Back to Arizona
The girl complied and sent these explicit images despite being underage, and later on, Ethan Roberts decided to travel to the girl's home state of Virginia. The man reportedly traveled 2,000 miles to get the girl to take her back to his apartment complex.
According to court documents, Roberts later forced the teen into child pornography, selling explicit images on Snapchat.
Local Nonprofit Group, Hear Their Voices, Helped With the Case
Keitra Coleman, a volunteer with the local nonprofit Hear Their Voices, told ABC15 that their group helped search for the teen after the word spread about the missing girl and flyers were out.
Coleman said they immediately reached out to the teen's family and were out there "boots on the ground." She added that they were on the case.
The nonprofit group reportedly helps find missing and exploited children, victims of domestic violence, and those experiencing homelessness.
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The Girl's Nintendo Switch Account Went Online, and a Friend Spotted It and Told Authorities
No one was able to know the girl's location until she turned on her Nintendo Switch to watch YouTube videos and download a game.
Court records show that Ethan Roberts allowed the girl to bring her Nintendo Switch, which has a feature that lets you alert gaming friends on their consoles every time you get online.
A friend of the missing girl notified the authorities after seeing she signed on to her console to download a game, and with Nintendo's cooperation, the FBI obtained the console's IP address.
Roberts was later indicted in federal court, and his charges included child pornography and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. He obtained a plea deal and was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison last April.
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