Two young sisters from Florida are recovering after being rescued by authorities following an alleged kidnapping that investigators say began with online contact through the popular gaming platform Roblox and later moved to Snapchat.
The girls, ages 12 and 14, were found safe after an intense, multi-state search that ended with Georgia State Highway Patrol stopping a vehicle linked to the suspect early Sunday morning. Law enforcement officials said the children were not physically harmed, but described the case as a serious example of the risks minors face through unsupervised online communication.
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began on Saturday, Jan. 31, in Indiantown, Florida. Earlier that morning, the sisters left their home without permission and went to a nearby park. A family member later found them and brought them home, after which the girls were disciplined and had their cell phones taken away.
Investigators say that after losing access to their phones, the sisters used a family tablet to contact a 19-year-old man they had met online. Authorities identified the suspect as Hser Mu Lah Say, an Omaha, Nebraska resident.
Sheriff John Budensiek said the girls first encountered the suspect in the summer of 2025 while playing Roblox, an online gaming platform popular with children and teenagers.
Over time, communication allegedly continued and intensified on Snapchat, where deputies later found what they described as a “constant thread of communication” between the suspect and the minors.
Later on Saturday, the sisters again left their home, this time to meet the suspect, who had driven approximately 22 hours from Nebraska to Florida. When the girls were reported missing that evening, family members alerted deputies to the online contact, prompting an urgent investigation.
“This was a type of abduction,” Budensiek said during a press conference, noting that while the girls may have gone willingly, their ages legally classify the situation as kidnapping.
Authorities tracked the suspect’s vehicle as it left Florida and traveled north. The Georgia State Highway Patrol ultimately located and stopped the car, rescuing the girls before they could be taken farther from home.
The suspect has since been charged in Martin County with two counts of kidnapping and two counts of interference with child custody. He is currently being held in a Georgia jail pending extradition to Florida. Officials said he did not provide a statement at the time of arrest, and it was unclear whether he had retained legal counsel.
Investigators noted that while no sexually explicit images or messages were found, there were alleged romantic exchanges and signs consistent with grooming behavior. Sheriff Budensiek said family members had previously noticed unexplained gifts, including food deliveries, being sent to the home—behavior authorities believe may have been part of a manipulation process.
“This case could have ended disastrously,” Budensiek said. “We talk regularly about the importance of parents being vigilant about grooming and social media platforms and the impact they have on kids.”
The case has renewed concerns about online safety for minors, particularly on platforms that allow private messaging. Budensiek warned that no online application is entirely safe if children are able to communicate privately with strangers.
Roblox, in a statement to U.S. media, said it is investigating the incident and will cooperate fully with law enforcement. The company highlighted its safety tools, including filters that block the sharing of personal information and age-based communication limits.
Snapchat also issued a statement expressing sympathy for the girls and their family, reaffirming its commitment to combating child exploitation and supporting law enforcement investigations.
The sisters have since been reunited with their family. Authorities have not released their names to protect their privacy and have encouraged parents and guardians to closely monitor children’s online interactions and discuss digital safety openly at home.
