Two previously missing sisters, aged 12 and 15, have been found safe after allegedly being kidnapped by a man they connected with on the gaming platform Roblox and continued communicating with on Snapchat. These details were disclosed during a press conference held by a Florida sheriff’s department on Monday.
The Georgia State Highway Patrol found the vehicle associated with the suspect and rescued the siblings on Sunday morning. According to officials, the sisters appeared physically unharmed. Hser Mu Lah Say, a 19-year-old resident of Omaha, Nebraska, now faces charges in Martin County of two counts of kidnapping and two counts of interference with child custody. He is currently detained in Georgia, as stated by Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek during the press briefing.
Emphasizing the risks associated with social media, Sheriff Budensiek stated, “We regularly discuss the importance of vigilance regarding grooming and social media’s impact on children. Fortunately, in this case, we prevented a potentially disastrous outcome,” though the suspect’s intentions remain unknown.
During the conference, Budensiek narrated the events leading to the alleged abduction and subsequent rescue. The girls disappeared on Saturday evening, having earlier faced disciplinary actions from their family, which included the confiscation of their phones for visiting a local park. Despite this, they left to meet the suspect later that day.
Law enforcement was alerted by family members, who identified a potential suspect over the summer of 2025 through Snapchat. They suggested that this individual might be involved in the disappearances. Officers uncovered extensive communication between the suspect and the sisters on their devices, revealing a planned abduction involving the suspect traveling to Indiantown, Florida, to collect the girls.
Though the minors left willingly, their young age raised concerns about their removal from the area. The communication between the girls and the suspect reportedly began in the summer of 2025 on Roblox before transferring to Snapchat.
The family had noticed unusual occurrences, such as gifts, primarily food, appearing at their home, which authorities now believe were part of a grooming tactic utilized by the suspect.
The suspect allegedly departed from Omaha on Friday morning, reaching Indiantown on Saturday. The original Facebook notice regarding the missing siblings portrayed an urgent search for two sisters from Indiantown, Florida. Authorities successfully tracked the suspect vehicle en route back to Nebraska before locating it in Georgia.
The initial post from the sheriff’s office detailed that investigators suspected the sisters were with an unknown adult Asian male, sharing photos of both the man and the siblings while announcing the preparation of an AMBER Alert.
During the press conference, Sheriff Budensiek reiterated concerns about online platforms, stating, “There is no application online that’s safe. Communicating privately can lead to dangerous situations, so parental vigilance is necessary.” Of the suspect, he added, “He was passive, but did not provide any statements.”
In response to the situation, Roblox’s chief safety officer, Matt Kaufman, expressed deep concern in a statement to ABC News, assuring that the company fully supports law enforcement and is investigating the incident. Roblox has implemented safety measures, including filters to prevent sharing of personal information and restricting chat features based on age, although the statement recognized that no security system is flawless. Efforts to enhance user protection are ongoing.
ABC News is seeking comment from Snapchat, and it remains unknown if the suspect has appointed legal representation.