Georgia sicko lured child on Roblox, drove 13 hours to kidnap, rape her: Cops
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Police say a Georgia man drove across four states, about 27 hours, to allegedly kidnap a 13-year-old girl he lured on the app, Roblox, then repeatedly rape her.
Howard Graham, 33, allegedly began messaging the child on the gaming app on Feb. 18, and two days later, he showed up at her home several states away in Topeka, Kan., and convinced her to run away with him, according to the Clayton County Police Department.
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Graham and the girl then made the 13-and-a-half back to his home in Clayton County, Ga.,
“As I said, this is Topeka, Kansas. This is not a short drive,” Clayton County Police Capt. John Ivey said at a news conference.
Police say Graham told his roommates the victim was his stepdaughter but by Feb. 24, the girl told them he was not her stepdad.
The roommates confronted Graham, who agreed to drop the girl off outside a dollar store, according to police.
She used Roblox to send a message to her mother, who contacted police.
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“Between the time they got here on Sunday and the Thursday she was released at the Dollar General, they had sexual intercourse many times,” Ivey said.
“We’re truly lucky that we found this young girl and she was alive.”
Officers arrested Graham on Tuesday at the iHOP where he worked. He was charged with rape, kidnapping and sex trafficking.
Graham confessed to his actions while in custody, according to police, and he could also face charges in Kansas.
Roblox released a statement about its safety for children against predators.
“We work tirelessly to prevent grooming on our platform,” a spokesperson said in the statement. “We have stringent safety systems and a team of thousands of moderators who enforce a strict set of community standards on Roblox, including zero tolerance for sexual content of any kind.”
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