While games aren't always seen in the most positive light, the renowned role-playing game World Of Warcraft helped find a missing 16-year-old girl and saved her life. According to the Marion County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) Facebook post, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and MCSO's Major Crimes Detective, Henrik Osthed, worked together to find a missing 16-year-old girl from Ohio using her World Of Warcraft activity.
On 03 January 2024, the juvenile victim logged into her World Of Warcraft account at her kidnapper, 31-year-old Thomas Ebersole's house in Dunnellon. The county traced her to Thomas's residency, 2390 SW Shorewood Drive, and arrested Ebersole for his offenses. While Ebersole refused the charges, he later went on to confess his intentions of pursuing a relationship and marrying the minor.
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FBI And Marion County Track Down Missing 16-Year-Old Using Her World Of Warcraft Account
World Of Warcraft is a popular multiplayer online role-playing game released by Activision Blizzard Entertainment in 2004. Players can create their fantasy characters and explore the world of Azeroth with their fantasy characters. Thanks to the game's popularity, it is still played by many across the globe, including the juvenile victim from Ohio.
Since World Of Warcraft is an online game, the authorities can quickly determine a player's location whenever they log into the game. FBI and Marion County's Major Crimes Detective Henrik Osthed did the same to locate the victim's position at Dunnellon, around 25 miles southwest of Ocala.
After arriving in Dunnellon, law enforcement contacted Ebersole, where he initially denied knowing anything about the missing girl. Later, he confessed to interacting with the victim, going to Ohio to meet her, and bringing her to Dunnellon. He also showed the Discord chats between him and the girl, helping authorities learn about his plans. The Facebook post read:
"He (Thomas Ebersole) ultimately admitted that he had driven to Ohio to meet the victim and brought her back to his home. Ebersole also stated he was in a romantic relationship with the juvenile victim and was going to hide her in his home with plans for her to become his wife. Ebersole provided Detective Osthed with Discord (an internet-based communications application) messages that further outlined his plans to meet the victim in Ohio and engage in s*xual activity despite knowing that he was committing a crime."
The 16-year-old girl has been rescued from Ebersole's house, and Ebersole is under arrest and is held at Marion County Jail without bond.