10-year-old girl kidnapped my man she met on Roblox, police said
A California man has been arrested for abducting a 10-year-old child he reportedly met on social media apps Roblox and Discord, authorities said Wednesday.
Matthew Macatuno Naval, 27, was arrested Sunday for kidnapping and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, the Kern County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. CNN is working to determine whether Naval has legal representation.
Kern County deputies began on Sunday searching for the child, who is a young girl from Taft, California, according to CNN affiliate KOVR, after her family reported her missing, police said.
Following information indicating the possibility that the missing minor was kidnapped, detectives said they uncovered the juvenile had been communicating with Naval via social media, and they were believed to be in the area of Elk Grove, California – more than 250 miles away.
Kern County police notified authorities in Elk Grove, who found the child Sunday afternoon, the release said.
Naval was arrested and booked in Sacramento County and later transferred to Kern County, where he is being held with bail set at $250,000, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office. He has a court hearing set for Friday.
The sheriff's office warned of the 'importance of internet safety' in the news release, referring to the communications Naval allegedly had with the minor on Roblox and Discord before the abduction. Roblox is an online gaming platform popular with tweens, and Discord is an instant messaging app.
'Parents, monitor all electronic usage and know who your children are communicating with. Many apps and games have messaging capabilities and present the same, if not more, risk as social media platforms.'
CNN has reached out toe Roblox and Discord for comments.
Last month, in response to claims that children are being exposed to harmful content on the site, Roblox's co-founder and CEO Dave Baszucki told the BBC the company takes 'the attitude that any bad, even one bad incident, is one too many.'
'We watch for bullying, we watch for harassment, we filter all of those kinds of things, and I would say behind the scenes, the analysis goes on all the way to, if necessary, reaching out to law enforcement.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Kilmar Abrego Garcia returned to the US to face charges
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March, has been brought back to the US to face criminal charges, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi. CNN Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Pérez reports.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Kilmar Abrego Garcia returned to the US to face charges
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March, has been brought back to the US to face criminal charges, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi. CNN Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Pérez reports.
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
On-duty cop offers woman ride home, then sexually abuses her, CA officials say
A deputy accused of committing a string of sex crimes while on duty has been convicted, California prosecutors say. A jury found Michael Clark, 36, guilty of a slew of charges, including two counts of sexual battery, two counts of stalking, three counts of assault under color of authority and one count of false imprisonment, the Kern County District Attorney's Office said in a June 4 news release. 'A sworn deputy who made a promise to protect the people of Kern County instead abused that trust and used his position of power to exploit multiple victims,' District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said in the release. Clark's conviction stems from encounters with multiple women when he was 'acting in an official capacity as a deputy' with the Kern County Sheriff's Office, prosecutors said. The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to McClatchy News' request for comment on June 6. In an October 2019 Facebook post announcing Clark's arrest, deputies said he began working with the sheriff's office in April 2017 and had worked there for two and a half years, mostly recently having worked at the Rosamond Substation. Woman 'inappropriately' touched in search Clark was called to an Oildale home on Feb. 14, 2019 and spoke with a woman who gave a fake last name, prosecutors said. She was arrested, according to prosecutors. During a search, Clark is accused of 'inappropriately' touching the woman, grabbing her 'genital area and her breasts,' prosecutors said. Deputy 'continually' propositions woman About a month later, Clark responded to a Rosamond home to 'take an identity theft report,' prosecutors said. While he was inside the home, Clark asked a woman 'sexually charged questions,' prosecutors said. He returned to the home on multiple occasions and also sent her 'sexually explicit text messages,' prosecutors said. Despite her pleading with him to stop, 'he continually propositioned the woman,' prosecutors said. Clark's actions led the woman to block his phone number and to move out of Rosamond, prosecutors said. GPS data from his patrol vehicle showed he 'visited or drove by the woman's residence over 20 times in a two-month period,' prosecutors said. Deputy gropes grocery store worker during ride home In August 2019, Clark responded to a Rosamond grocery store parking lot about a fight, prosecutors said. Afterward, he visited the store and came across a female worker, prosecutors said. Clark later noticed the same woman as she was walking home after her shift and offered her a ride home, prosecutors said. The woman said she agreed to the ride 'because he was a cop,' according to prosecutors. As he drove the short distance to her home, 'Clark asked her if she wanted to exchange social media accounts to 'sext'' and also 'asked her to 'make out,'' prosecutors said. Upon arriving at her home, Clark 'leaned over to the passenger side and began kissing her,' prosecutors said. 'He then began grabbing her breasts and genital area,' prosecutors said. When the woman opened the car door in an attempt to escape, he grabbed her and didn't let her leave, prosecutors said. 'He then exposed his genitals and forced her hand onto it,' prosecutors said. Clark let the woman leave after she gave him her contact information, according to prosecutors. In the days that followed, the woman said Clark 'began messaging her on social media asking if she would meet with him,' deputies said in a Facebook post. She said Clark continued to frequent her work while he was on duty, asking if 'she wanted to hang out and/or go out for drinks,' deputies said. Woman wakes to find deputy beside her Clark is also accused of harassing multiple workers at a gas station near the sheriff's main station over 'the course of several months,' prosecutors said. He is accused of writing 'lewd comments on receipts' and asking the women on dates, prosecutors said. One worker told investigators 'Clark reached across a gate, touched her buttocks, and walked away laughing,' prosecutors said. Another woman, who reported multiple incidents with Clark, said he once 'entered an area off limits to the public,' prosecutors said. The woman said she was napping and woke to find Clark lying beside her 'eye to eye,' and he told her 'he just wanted 'to cuddle,'' prosecutors said. On another occasion, the woman said she was leaving her car in the parking lot when 'Clark pulled in behind her in his patrol vehicle and activated his overhead lights,' prosecutors said. He 'asked her if she 'wanted to make out,'' then gave 'her his department issued Taser,' prosecutors said. 'Clark's behavior will not be tolerated and he must be held accountable for the harm he has inflicted,' Zimmer said. Clark is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on July 16 and faces up to eight years and four months in prison, as well as be required to register as a sex offender, prosecutors said. Rosamond is about an 80-mile drive north from Los Angeles.
