Roblox allowed predator to sexually exploit 10-year-old girl, mother sues company

A mother in North Carolina has sued Roblox, saying the popular gaming platform allowed a predator to sexually exploit her 10-year-old daughter. The lawsuit says the predator first gained the child’s trust on Roblox by pretending to be another kid, and then pressured her into sending explicit images in exchange for Robux, Roblox’s virtual currency. When she didn’t comply, he allegedly threatened to take away the Robux.

The lawsuit accuses Roblox of creating a “pedophile hellscape” despite claiming the platform is safe for children. It says weak age checks, poor parental controls, and easy access for adults to message kids all made the abuse possible. For example, Roblox only asks for a birthdate, username, and password to sign up, and until recently, adults could message children of any age directly.

The complaint also notes that the predator eventually moved the conversations off Roblox to text messages, where the exploitation continued. The child had been using Roblox for years for games and social interaction, making her a target, the filing says.

Roblox responded, saying, “We are deeply troubled by any incident that endangers our users, and safety is a top priority. We dedicate substantial resources, including advanced technology and 24/7 human moderation, to detect and prevent inappropriate content and behavior.”