CULPEPER, Va. - A Virginia man has been charged after authorities say he tried to get at least three children to send him sexually explicit photos of themselves in exchange for ‘Robux’ — the currency used in the popular online gaming platform Roblox.
What we know:
On March 5, officers with the Culpeper Police Department arrested 20-year-old Angel David Rubio Marin for allegedly trying to get the minors to produce child sexual abuse material.
The investigation began on March 1 after the Culpeper Police Department received a report that three children had been contacted by an adult stranger through a popular messaging service.
It was quickly determined that the communication was sexual in nature, prompting detectives to further investigate.
Detectives discovered that the suspect offered to pay three children under the age of 10 for sexually explicit videos and images.
Not only did the suspect offer to pay them with regular money, but he also offered to pay them with "Robux," which can be spent in the popular kids' game Roblox.
The charges:
Investigators were able to identify Rubio Marin, a resident of Manassas, as the suspect.
He faces seven felony counts of the use of communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children.
He was brought before a judge and was ordered to be held without bond at the Prince William County jail.
Police believe it is likely that Rubio Marin had similar contact with additional, unidentified children, and detectives are asking anyone with additional information to come forward.
Additional charges may be obtained following further investigation.
What they're saying:
Police are reminding parents and families to be careful when interacting with others online.
"The Culpeper Police Department would like to remind users of internet-based social platforms that predators are constantly finding new ways of contacting juveniles on these sites, and that parental monitoring is crucial to the safety of children online. As proven in this investigation, proactive monitoring by parents is often the last line of defense between predators and potential victims."
Additional resources to ensure the safety of children online can be found at www.icactaskforce.org/internetsafety.