Florida ranks 5th for online enticement of minors

ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s a list we don’t want to be on: Florida ranks fifth for the number of children who were reported missing after being enticed online.

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The new data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children underscores the urgency to monitor not just your child’s social media use, but also virtual reality games which can give strangers access to your kids.

Action News Jax’s sister station WFTV told you when 31-year-old Thomas Ebersole was arrested, accused of driving from his home in Marion County all the way to Ohio, where investigators say he picked up a 16-year-old girl who he had met online.

She was reported missing after he drove her back to Florida, where he allegedly planned to hide her and make her his wife.

CLICK HERE to read the full story by WFTV.

Read: JSO: Man found unconscious in car with slash wound to chest

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