Kissimmee, FL – A 22-year-old North Carolina man is behind bars facing serious felony charges after authorities say he traveled across state lines to meet a 12-year-old Osceola County girl he had been communicating with on social media for several months.
On January 31, 2026, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office received a missing child report from the girl’s parents. They initially believed their daughter was spending the night at a friend’s house. When she failed to respond to calls and messages the following day, they contacted authorities.
Detectives quickly located the girl’s cellphone signal at a hotel in neighboring Orange County. Deputies from both the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and Orange County Sheriff’s Office responded to the location and located the missing child inside a vehicle with 22-year-old Edar Fabricio Dejesus-Matheu of North Carolina.
Investigators with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division conducted an immediate on-scene interview. Authorities say the girl and Dejesus-Matheu had been in contact online for months and had planned the in-person meeting in advance. Dejesus-Matheu reportedly traveled from North Carolina to Osceola County, picked up the child, and drove her to the hotel in Orange County.
Preliminary interviews revealed that Dejesus-Matheu engaged in lewd and lascivious molestation of the minor while at the hotel in Orange County. Jurisdiction for the sexual offense was transferred to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office charged Dejesus-Matheu with:
- Traveling to meet a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity
- Unlawful use of a two-way communication device
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged him with lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim under 12 years of age.
Dejesus-Matheu remains in the Orange County jail awaiting formal arraignment and faces the possibility of additional charges from Osceola County as the investigation continues.
On Safer Internet Day, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office issued a strong reminder to parents and guardians to actively monitor their children’s online activity and phone usage.
“Your vigilance can help protect children from predators who exploit digital platforms to groom and harm minors,” officials stated. “We urge families to talk openly about online safety and to report suspicious activity immediately.”
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office emphasized its ongoing commitment to protecting children and enhancing community safety through proactive investigations and public awareness.
Anyone with information related to this case or similar incidents is asked to contact the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office at (407) 348-2222. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers.
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