BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — After communicating on Fortnite, a Santa Ana man drove hours to meet a Bakersfield teen, his heart set on moving to a house in a forest where they could live together happily and someday start a family, court documents said.
As it turns out, Sergio Estrada won’t be starting a new life in a peaceful woodland setting — he’s headed to prison.
Estrada, 20, on Friday pleaded no contest to child stealing and was sentenced to three years in prison and lifetime sex offender registration, prosecutors said. Other charges, including contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sex act, were dismissed.
The charges stemmed from Estrada’s arrest June 11, when deputies located him and the girl, then 14, holding hands while walking in east Bakersfield.
The teen’s mother had reported her missing, saying she last saw her the day before and believed she was with a man she met through online video game Fortnite. The two had allegedly been in contact for two years.
Estrada told investigators he knew the girl was underage, but “she was alright with it.”
They only hugged and held hands, he said, adding he tried to kiss her but stopped because she became uncomfortable.
His plan was to live with the girl in a secluded spot in the forest so they could “be together forever,” Estrada said according to the documents.
The girl was returned to her family and Estrada was booked into jail, where he remains.
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