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Man Arrested For Sex With Underage Girl He Met In RuneScape
There seems to be an infinite number of creepy, disturbed individuals on the Internet, and one was recently arrested for having sex with a 13-year-old Detroit girl that he "married" in the online role-playing game RuneScape.
According to a story in the Detroit News, John W. Phillips of Fitchburg, Massachusetts has been charged with 11 felonies "including sexual assault, using a computer to communicate with another person to commit a crime, accosting a child for immoral purposes and child sexually abusive activity." If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The Detroit News reports that "Phillips doesn't have a criminal record, and it appears his only source of income comes from selling Magic: The Gathering game cards."
Phillips met the girl in RuneScape and allegedly traveled to Detroit under the auspices of giving her a cell phone, and had sex with the child in an area motel and his van. After the child's mother caught her daughter exchanging texts with Phillips, she notified the authorities. Phillips evaded the police in New York while visiting his father, but was eventually arrested. He fought extradition to Michigan, but was eventually arraigned on January 13.
Just another reminder for parents: keep an eye on what your child is doing online.
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