Police arrest man for allegedly abducting 13-year-old they met on Roblox, VRChat

Police in Utah have arrested a 26-year-old man, Aaron Zeman, after he allegedly abducted a 13-year-old boy. Zemen, who goes by Hunter Fox online, met the child on Roblox and VRChat before allegedly convincing him to meet him in real life.

Utah Police were on the lookout for a 13-year-old boy on December 26, sending out an amber alert to residents state-wide.

The boy was eventually found safe in Nebraska on December 28 and the alert canceled, with police arresting 26-year-old man Aaron Zeman for the alleged abduction. He was charged with kidnapping and resisting arrest.

He was initially suspected to be named Hunter Fox, the online alias he uses on both Roblox and VRChat, where the two apparently met.

A Twitter account reportedly used by Zeman under the Hunter Fox moniker tweeted on December 14 about how he was “going to spend my life with him.” He did not elaborate on who he was referring to.

“I am so, so lucky. We played VRChat together for about an hour. Today I heard his voice for the first time since [November 20]. This is already the best Christmas. I love you.”

Police said Zeman had been in contact with the child for some time. Layton Police officer Lt. Travis Lyman told the media no charges had been laid yet as they were determining between Utah and Nebraska Police how they would be prosecuted.

“They have traveled across state lines and we need to talk to both the suspect and victim to determine what has gone on and sort through the charges… and determine who will be prosecuting whatever those charges are.”

He also urged parents to be more aware of their child’s activity online.

“We see a lot of cases unfortunately where there’s this type of communication going on, rarely does it escalate to the point where someone is enticed out of their home and leaves with a suspect like this.

“Sadly this type of communication, grooming, and enticement… is more common than you think.”