A Florida criminal allegedly used a popular video game to travel across state lines to select a 16-year-old boy to marry before his arrest, authorities announced Wednesday.
Thomas Ebersole, 31, was taken into custody Wednesday after investigators found the girl signed into a World of Warcraft account at the suspect's Sunshine State home. A missing teenage girl has been found inside her home. This was announced by the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities said another gaming account belonging to Eversole was also signed in from the same address.
The local investigation began earlier in the day when the FBI contacted the sheriff's office about the missing girl from Ohio.
When investigators confronted Ebersole at his home in Dunnellon, he initially denied knowing the girl, but eventually drove to the Buckeye State to hide the victim in his home with the intention of marrying him. He reportedly admitted that he had done so.
It takes more than 10 hours to drive from my home to Ohio each way.
Authorities said the man claimed to be in a romantic relationship with her and even showed authorities text messages between the two on a messaging app.
The messages allegedly described Ebersole's plan to meet the victim in Ohio and have sex with her, knowing it would lead to criminal charges.
Ebersole was charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex, interfering with the custody of a child, and protecting an unmarried minor. He remains in the Marion County Jail without bail.
