A missing teenager's World of Warcraft account turned out to be the key police needed to locate her after she was abducted from a different state.
Investigators began their search for the 16-year-old girl, whose name has not been released, after she disappeared from her home state of Ohio.
On Wednesday (3 January), Major Crimes Detective Henrik Osthed, of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, became involved in the case after he received a request from a special agent in the FBI asking him to aid them in the investigation.
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Investigators noticed that the teenager's Wold of Warcraft account had been accessed from a property on Shorewood Drive, in Dunnellon, which was determined to belong to a 31-year-old man named Thomas Ebersole.
Ebersole's own World of Warcraft account had also been accessed at the home on the same day, prompting law enforcement to make contact with the homeowner.
A statement from Marion County Sheriff's Office explained that Ebersole initially denied knowing the victim when he first spoke to police.
However, he went on to admit that he had driven to Ohio to meet the teenager, after which he brought her back to his home in Florida.
Ebersole told police he was in a romantic relationship with the teenager, and that he planned to hide her at his home as he carried out plans to marry her.
Ebersole provided police with messages sent on the internet-based messaging site Discord, which further outlined his plans to meet the teenager and engage in sexual activity with her, despite knowing he was committing a crime due to her being underage.
In an arrest affidavit obtained by HuffPost, deputies stated they observed three bruises on Ebersole's neck, which he claimed where 'hickies' given to him by the teenager.
The 16-year-old is said to have confirmed Ebersole's claims about the bruises, prompting deputies to report that the 'overtly sexual' act was 'not normal behaviour' between an adult and a child.
Messages from Discord cited in the court document also revealed that Ebersole and the teen had referred to each other by pet names and made romantic statements.
Following Ebersole's confession, police arrested the 31-year-old and transported him to the Marion County Jail, where he remained without bond as of Thursday (4 January).
Osthed charged Ebersole with Traveling to Meet a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, Interfering with Child Custody, and Sheltering an Unmarried Minor.
Emily Brown