SACRAMENTO, CA - The online gaming world has opened the door to more potential victims for pedophiles.
Just this week, Roseville police detectives charged Michael Scott Nodine, 45, with more offenses related to alleged sex abuse on children.
Investigators believe he used online interactive based game groups to gain access to young people.
For 13-year-old Tommy and his friend, playing Call of Duty: MW3 with millions opponents online is a typical summer day.
However, not all game play is fun and safe.
"I reported a couple of people," Tommy said. "The guy that hacked me, I reported him a lot."
Hackers may pale in comparison to sexual predators. Roseville police said Nodine found dozens of young victims through internet video gaming groups.
The days of predators lurking in obvious places for children have evolved from the playground to online interactive video games.
High Tech Crimes Task Force Det. James Williams said more and more games are becoming interactive. People often chat and text while they're competing. This makes it all too easy for a player to reveal more about themselves than they intended.
"They shouldn't give out personal information, what their real name is, where they live, those types of things that's personal information that should not be revealed during game play," Williams said.
Those are rules at Tommy's house. All video games are in full view.
"Nobody is going to be closing doors in this house," Tommy's dad Tom said.
With technology changing at lightning speed, the game play is constantly changing too.
"I'd say I worked a 100 or so in how many years, 10 years," Williams said. "It is surprising sometimes the lengths people will go to."
News10/KXTV