Nintendo may be one of the biggest gaming companies in the world, known and loved for their family-friendly classics that people across different generations have fallen in love with. However, that isn’t to say they are in touch with their community. As a matter of fact, they are quite out of touch with the fanbase they have established for themselves.
They are widely known for shutting down nonprofit games and suing the developers who made them, among other things. Another display of sheer heartlessness would be them suing Gary Bowser for US$14.5 million (RM64.7 million) for hacking Nintendo Switches. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re just going to sit on their hands and do nothing, as they recently saved a 15-year-old girl from a paedophile thanks to their console.
Yup, as weird as it sounds, the Nintendo Switch saved a little girl’s life. It began in January 2022, when 28-year-old Ethan Roberts met the victim for the first time in a chatroom. Their communication lasted for around 7 months before he started asking for explicit photographs. Then, in August of the same year, Roberts flew from Arizona to Virginia and abducted the victim. Roberts intended to traffic the minor by selling nude photographs of her via Snapchat.
However, in a stroke of luck for the victim or stupidity by the captor, he allowed the victim to bring her Switch to keep her entertained. Then, while downloading a game and watching YouTube, a friend noticed that she was online. This friend immediately informed the authorities to help with the investigation, who, in turn, contacted Nintendo and requested their help. The gaming giant later obtained Roberts’ IP address, which led to his arrest.
The events came to light only recently, thanks to the Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia’s press release. There, it was stated that back in April of 2023, Roberts was sentenced to 30 years behind bars for the production of child sexual abuse material.
What made the event quite harrowing is the fact that the victim and the friend happened to log in simultaneously and noticed each other by chance. Due to recent advancements in technology, it’s not hard to fathom that modern devices can easily track us, from our phones down to our credit cards – but no one ever expected a gaming console would solve a case. This isn’t the first time video games have saved a life, and it certainly won’t be the last.
Source: Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia
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