January 8, 2024

WoW Helps Find Missing Teen in an Abduction Case

US investigators found a missing teen thanks to WoW.

Key Takeaways

A 16-year-old teenager in Ohio was abducted by Thomas Ebersole, a 31-year-old man in Florida.
Thanks to her WoW account, the authorities were able to pinpoint her location at his residence.
Ebersole was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail, where he’s held without bond.

According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in north-central Florida, Thomas Ebersole, a 31-year-old Dunnellon man, was arrested by Major Crimes Detective Henrik Osthed on January 3, 2024. The arrest includes charges of:

Traveling to Meet a Minor for Sexual Activity
Interfering with Child Custody
Sheltering an Unmarried Minor

According to the police report, Ebersole and the girl met online in the game World of Warcraft. Over time, they developed a romantic relationship, which later led to the abduction of the teenager.

Following the daughter’s disappearance, the parents sought help from law enforcement. The FBI reached out to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, for assistance in locating the teenager. When the girl accessed her WoW account from the abductor’s residence, authorities were able to pinpoint her location.

As the police arrived at his house, at first, Ebersole denied knowing or having any relationship with the 16-year-old. However, he later allegedly confessed to driving to Ohio to meet up with the juvenile and bring her to his house in Florida. The 31-year-old also provided Detective Osthed with the Discord messages between him and the teen. He allegedly claimed that he was “going to hide her in his home with plans for her to become his wife.”