Last year, a girl was kidnapped in the US state of Virginia and held by her tormentor for 11 days. Then the FBI was able to find them – thanks in part to data from a Nintendo Switch. TECHBOOK tells the whole story.
It’s the case that many parents dread. The underage daughter makes an apparently harmless internet acquaintance. This was a 15-year-old from Virginia, and Ethan Roberts, from Tolleson, Arizona, in his late 20s. The broadcaster, among others, is currently reporting on this ABC15Arizona. The man visited the girl at her home in August 2022 and took her into his power. But without thinking twice, he allowed his victim to take a game console with him – a Nintendo Switch. This very detail should help the FBI locate the abducted teenage girl’s whereabouts. This is according to the court documents, which are now available to the public.
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Nintendo Switch data led FBI to hijacker
The kidnapper held the girl at her home in Tolleson and, according to the file, allegedly forced her to use child pornography. Reaching for the Nintendo Switch to “watch YouTube and download a game,” according to the report, should be her salvation. Because the 15-year-old dialed into the kidnapper’s WLAN to use her console. A friend noticed her online status – knowing she was currently missing – and alerted the police. The FBI contacted the manufacturer and, based on the Internet connection data, obtained the IP address to which the Nintendo Switch was connected. This enabled the security authorities to quickly locate the whereabouts of the victim. A short time later, the girl was freed from the apartment complex where Roberts lived. The kidnapper was arrested.
30 years in prison for the perpetrator
It wasn’t the kidnapper’s first offense. Ethan Roberts has been charged with numerous offenses including distributing child pornography and the recent kidnapping of a minor for sexual purposes. The conviction came last April, and the offender received a 30-year prison sentence.
Anyone who is worried about what data the game console collects can rest easy. First and foremost, the Nintendo Switch saves only the game data of its users. Nintendo, on the other hand, stores personal data primarily in the context of the paid subscription Switch Online. However, in general, every gamer should be aware that game consoles have device and network detection running in the background. It is also saved with the date and time when which software was accessed.