A family is suing Roblox, alleging that the game platform didn’t do enough to protect children in the game, leading to a 13-year-old girl’s kidnapping. While this is far from the first incident involving a child meeting a criminal online, the legal team representing the family alleges that Roblox falsely markets the platform as safe for kids.
Roblox has faced numerous controversies during its time, but recently, many have focused on the safety of children, the key target audience for the game platform. One of the concerns raised around the game is that the CEO of Roblox is talking about adding dating options to the title. These options, if added, would be age-locked, but some have voiced frustration with the notion, as age gates aren’t always as effective as they should be.
Roblox Player’s Family Sues the Game
Now, a family in Des Moines, Iowa is claiming that the Roblox platform didn’t do enough to protect their 13-year-old child, who was reportedly groomed on the platform and subsequently kidnapped. The lawsuit claims that the child met someone in Roblox who they believed to be a teenager, but who actually turned out to be a 37-year-old predator. The child was kidnapped in West Des Moines on May 24, 2025 by said individual, which ultimately led to sexual abuse and trafficking. The alleged perpetrator has been captured and is being held on four counts of statutory rape, with the potential for more charges to be added. This isn’t the first time that Roblox has faced a lawsuit from players’ parents.
The lawsuit indicates that Roblox has safety tools at its disposal, like age verification, parental controls, and monitoring systems, but claims that the safeguards aren’t utilized as they “might have reduced their user engagement metrics.” The firm representing the child’s family notably claims to also represent 400 clients “with similar stories.” Roblox has issued an official statement in turn, explaining that its policy is to not comment on ongoing litigation, but that the company is “deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our community.”
Prior to this incident, the CEO of Roblox heightened frustration among players’ parents when he indicated that parents who are concerned shouldn’t let their kids play Roblox. It’s worth noting that this was said before the incidents referenced in this lawsuit occurred. Roblox has taken steps to help and ensure that user ages are properly documented, which should help to cut down on adults communicating with children, in theory. However, one of the lead attorneys on the lawsuit at hand calls it “too little too late,” pointing to the numerous incidents that allegedly transpired prior to these latest efforts.
Roblox
- Released
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September 1, 2006
- ESRB
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T for Teen
- Developer(s)
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Roblox Corporation
- Publisher(s)
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Roblox Corporation
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