London - A boy aged 12 has been rescued from the attic of a man he met playing the online computer game Minecraft.
The boy, known only as Paul, vanished a week ago from his home in Switzerland.
It was only after the FBI helped police crack codes on his computer that they found he had revealed his full name, address and age to the 35-year-old man.
They then tracked Paul to the man’s home 370 miles away in Germany. The boy was found hiding in the attic when police raided the house.
Minecraft is the second best-selling video game of all time and is hugely popular with children. It has sold more than 106 million copies worldwide.
The game involves creating worlds out of building blocks and allows players to interact with other gamers.
However, the NSPCC has issued advice on its website to parents worried about their children’s safety while playing the game online, including how to turn off functions that allow them to chat to strangers.
Before he disappeared, it is believed that Paul, from Solothurn, Switzerland, told his parents that he was going for a bike ride. His bicycle was later found in a neighbouring town.
Police found he had met the man while playing online then travelled to his home in Dusseldorf, Germany.
It is unclear whether Paul had been staying with the man voluntarily or was being held against his will, although, due to the boy’s age, the man – named only as Werner C – is facing kidnapping charges.
A police spokesman said: ‘It is too early to start criminal proceedings for sexual abuse. We have already spoken intensively with Paul in the presence of his parents.
‘We are getting an image of what exactly happened, but we still need to complete the investigation.’
After the link between kidnapper and child was revealed, Swiss telecommunications firm Swisscom warned both parents and children to be on their guard.
A spokesman said: ‘It is important that parents talk with their children about all the risks involved of being online.’
Daily Mail