US man arrested for sex with 13-yr-old he ‘married’ in online game
By ANISaturday, February 12, 2011
NEW YORK - A 54-year-old Massachusetts man is accused of underage sex with a young teenager whom he allegedly “married” in the online role-playing game.
John Phillips, of Fitchburg, faces a slew of charges, including sexual assault, child sexually abusive activity and accosting a child for immoral purposes, police said during a press conference earlier this week, reports the New York Daily News.
Phillips reportedly met the Detroit teen last year while playing the multiplayer RuneScape game. The two had a fictitious marriage in the game, said Wayne County Sheriff’s Cpl. Ray Johnson.
“Maybe he thought that was legitimate in real life,” Johnson told The Boston Globe. “It’s not.”
According to the police, Phillips drove from his home to meet his online bride in Detroit, where he had sex with her and gave her a cell phone so they could talk.
The teen’s mother, however, caught the girl with the cell phone and contacted the police.
Investigation also found that the two have had at least three sexual encounters over several months, one in a hotel, one in a van and one in the girl’s home.
If found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in jail. (ANI)
