BAKERSFIELD, California – A Filipino-American man is facing serious charges in California after allegedly abducting a 10-year-old girl he met through the online gaming platform Roblox.

Matthew Macatuno Naval, 27, was arrested on April 13 and is currently being held on $1.35 million bail at the Kern County Jail. He faces multiple felony charges, including kidnapping, lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, and attempting to exhibit harmful material to a minor.

According to court documents obtained by local TV station KGET, Naval picked up the girl in the small Southern California city of Taft after chatting with her online. The girl initially believed they would be going to a nearby park, but the two ended up more than 250 miles away in Elk Grove, near Sacramento, in Northern California.

Investigators say the girl became disoriented during the long drive and eventually realized she was far from home. Naval was later found by Elk Grove police in a strip mall parking lot with the girl in the front passenger seat of his car.

The girl’s family had reported her missing that morning and used a tracking app to trace her phone to a hotspot labeled “Matthew’s iPhone.” Authorities also linked Naval to a Roblox username found in the girl’s friends list.

In a jailhouse interview with KGET, Naval, who is Filipino-American, claimed he believed the girl was 18 years old and insisted there was no sexual contact. However, court documents indicate he told investigators they had kissed and that he had considered pursuing sexual activity if the girl had been willing. He also attempted to check into a hotel but was denied for not having two forms of ID.

Naval’s attorney said he is on the autism spectrum and has difficulty interpreting social cues, arguing that Naval was only seeking friendship.

Court records also revealed a disturbing social media post from the child, who reportedly uploaded a video on TikTok with the caption, “First time getting kidnapped, lmao,” showing a view from a moving vehicle.

Naval is scheduled to return to court in June for a preliminary hearing.

This case has drawn attention from both local and Filipino-American communities, as law enforcement agencies warn parents about the dangers of unsupervised communication on gaming and social media platforms.

This report includes information from KGET and Kern County Superior Court records.