A Broward County man, identified as Edward Rodriguez, has been arrested after allegedly using the social networking app Discord to groom and abduct a 13-year-old girl from the Tampa Bay area.
According to Local 10, Rodriguez, 38, made the hasty and unfortunate decision to convince the young adolescent to accompany him to his Cooper City home after months of communicating with her over the popular gaming app. This action resulted in the issuance of a "missing child alert" following the girl's disappearance last Saturday early morning and before she was found safe three days later. Rodriguez also confessed to the authorities despite being aware of the grave consequences.
The combined efforts of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the Broward Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Marshals facilitated the recovery of the girl, as Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister expressed his profound gratitude, "We are immensely grateful that this young girl has been found," in a statement obtained by CBS News.
Rodriguez was arrested for inappropriate messages with a minor. He admitted to loving her and wanting to keep her locked up. The girl was worried about him but still protected him. He faces serious charges.
While in custody, Rodriguez invoked his Miranda rights and did not make any further statements to the Broward Sheriff’s Office. He is likely facing additional charges from Hillsborough prosecutors, as detailed by CBS News.
