Dillon Atkinson, 26, was arrested last week in Fort Meyers, Florida following allegations he had a “sexual relationship” with a 15-year-old girl he met while playing the video game Fortnite.
Police responded to the home of the teenager after her parents discovered chat logs on her computer with the suspect. According to the adults at the home, one of the messages “indicated that he was at” the girl’s residence — prompting one of them to go “outside with his firearm,” but nobody was there.
When confronted about the online conversation, the victim “admitted to her relationship with the male,” who has since been arrested and charged with one count of lewd or lascivious behavior on a victim between the ages of 12 and 16, Florida’s equivalent to statutory rape.
The girl told her parents she had a “a sexual relationship with a 26-year-old male,” who she first met via Fortnite back in July 2022, before having “sexual intercourse” with him multiple times in the two weeks prior to his arrest.
According to the police report (via Law&Crime), she later told a case worker at the Children’s Advocacy Center she met up with Atkinson on three different occasions. She said the suspect “was aware that she was 15 years old, and she was aware he was 26 years old.”
He first picked her up near school, before they had sex in his work truck, she said. The second time, he brought her back to his home, but the condom broke while they were having sex, per the affidavit. According to the police report, the girl said “Dillon took the victim to a nearby Walgreens where he purchased Plan B, and gave it to the victim as a precaution.”
She said they met up for a third time “on the side of their house” just days before the arrest.
Police arrested Atkinson who, after being made aware of his rights, allegedly still spoke with a detective without an attorney present.
“Dillon confirmed he and the victim met each other approximately five months prior on the video game Fortnite. The two began a friendship that later turned romantic in nature,” reads the report. “They began communicating through Discord, a phone application where people text, chat and make video calls.”
“Dillon admitted to knowing the victim was underage because she told him she was sixteen years old. However, he advised the victim told him the age did not matter to her,” the report continued. “Dillon also stated he was unaware of the legal age of consent. Dillon appeared to be extremely remorseful of his actions.”
The age of consent in Florida is 18.
Atkinson is still in custody at Lee County Jail, where he’s being held on $100,000 bond. His next court appearance is January 30.
A spokesperson for Fortnite’s developer, Epic Games, said in a statement to the Herald, “We take reports about the safety of our players seriously and thoroughly investigate them, including working directly with local law enforcement to take action.”
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