A California man who met a 13-year-old Utah girl while playing anonline video game has been indicted by a federal grand jury thataccuses him of enticing her to run away to his house where policesay he planned to engage in sexual activity.
Robert Davison, 41, was extradited a week ago from Kelseyville,Calif., to the Davis County Jail, where he was being held Thursdayby U.S. marshals on the indictment of enticing a minor over theInternet.
Investigators say Davison met his Centerville victim whileplaying the game "World of Warcraft," an online fantasy game thatanyone can participate in. Players are also able to communicate witheach other by posting on a message board. Davison and the girl begancommunicating this way and then moved to an instant-messaging site,said Centerville Police Sgt. Vaughn Steenblik.
Police were called Nov. 13 when the girl ran away from home, hesaid. Investigators immediately checked her cell-phone records andhome computer and talked to her friends at school.
"She actually told some classmates she was going to meet somebodyin California," Steenblik said.
Detectives became even more concerned when they discovered shehad been having chats with a man in California. The Internet CrimesAgainst Children Task Force was called. A more thorough check of hercomputer revealed sexually explicit conversations between her andDavison, police said.
"He was really graphic on what he was going to do to her," hesaid.
Acting on a hunch, investigators went to the Greyhound BusStation in downtown Salt Lake City and spotted her in the terminal,just an hour away from getting on a bus and heading to California,Steenblik said. The girl was returned home about six hours afterbeing reported missing.
Detectives continued their investigation into Davison and assumedthe identity of the young girl, exchanging e-mail with him foranother six weeks, he said. The FBI also was involved, Steenbliksaid.
On Feb. 4, an indictment was obtained, as well as search warrantsfor Davison's house and computers. He was extradited to Utah lastweek and had an initial appearance in federal court Wednesday. Ifconvicted, Davison faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years.
E-MAIL: preavy@desnews.com
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