Investigators said the pair planned the meetup for months after meeting on social media.
ORLANDO, FL — A 22-year-old North Carolina man was arrested after deputies said he traveled to Central Florida to meet a 12-year-old girl he had been communicating with online and took her to a hotel, where investigators later found her.
Authorities said the case began as a missing-child report and quickly turned into a joint response involving Osceola County and Orange County deputies. Investigators said the man, Edar Fabricio Dejesus-Matheu, was booked into the Orange County Jail and faces several felony charges tied to travel, online communication and alleged sexual contact. The girl was located after detectives used phone data to pinpoint her whereabouts, officials said, and the investigation remained active as detectives reviewed what happened and whether more charges could follow.
Deputies said the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office received a report on Sat., Jan. 31, 2026, that a 12-year-old girl was missing. Her parents told investigators they believed she was staying the night at a friend’s home in their neighborhood. By the next day, deputies said, the girl stopped responding to calls and text messages. Her family then reported her missing, prompting detectives to begin searching for her and checking information tied to her cellphone location.
Investigators said they tracked the girl’s phone to a hotel in Orange County and sent deputies to the location. Deputies from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office responded and found the missing child in a vehicle with an adult man, authorities said. The man was identified as Dejesus-Matheu, who deputies said had traveled from North Carolina. In a statement released after the arrest, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said preliminary interviews indicated Dejesus-Matheu engaged in lewd and lascivious molestation in Orange County. Officials did not release further details about the allegation or say how long the pair had been at the hotel before deputies arrived.
Detectives said the investigation showed the man and the girl first connected on social media months earlier and continued communicating as they planned to meet in person. Authorities said Dejesus-Matheu came to Osceola County, picked up the child near her home and drove her to the Orange County hotel. Investigators did not identify the social media platform in public statements, and they did not say what messages were exchanged, what the girl believed about the man’s identity, or whether any other adults were involved. The sheriff’s office also did not say whether the girl had previously met the man in person before the weekend she was reported missing.
Dejesus-Matheu was arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail, authorities said. He was charged with traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual activity, unlawful use of a two-way communication device and lewd or lascivious molestation of a minor. Officials said additional charges were possible as detectives continued reviewing interviews, digital evidence and other records. Court dates, bond information and whether the man had an attorney listed were not included in the initial statements released to the public.
The arrest drew attention because it was reported the same day many communities marked Safer Internet Day, a global initiative that highlights online safety and responsible technology use. Larry Magid, chief executive of ConnectSafely.org, said online predators can be “very, very manipulative,” and he described education and early conversations as key parts of prevention. His remarks were shared as investigators detailed how the case involved months of contact that deputies said started online and ended with a missing-child call, a hotel search and an arrest.
Law enforcement agencies in Central Florida have repeatedly said that online communication can play a role in cases involving minors, ranging from missing-child investigations to undercover operations aimed at adults who seek to meet children. In this case, investigators said the turning point was the rapid location of the child through her phone, allowing deputies to respond while the situation was still unfolding. Officials did not say whether the phone was actively used to send messages after the girl was reported missing, or whether her location was recovered through an app, account records or other investigative tools.
Detectives were expected to continue interviewing witnesses and reviewing electronic communications as the case moved forward through the criminal justice system. Any additional charges, if filed, would likely depend on what investigators confirm about travel, communications, intent and the alleged acts described in the sheriff’s office statement. Prosecutors also typically review case files after an arrest to determine how charges should proceed and whether counts should be amended. Authorities did not announce a timeline for that review or for the release of more information about the investigation.
For the family, the case began with a belief that the child was spending the night with a friend and quickly shifted into a search that ended at a hotel parking lot, investigators said. Officials have not released the girl’s name or specific neighborhood details. Deputies said the man remains in custody as the investigation continues, and the next public milestone is expected to come through first court appearances and the filing of any additional charges.
Author note: Last updated February 12, 2026.