A lawsuit filed Wednesday in Las Vegas District Court accuses the online gaming platform Roblox of failing to safeguard a 9-year-old Nevada girl from a predator who allegedly sent her sexually explicit photos and videos over nearly two years. The plaintiffs, identified only as Mary and John Doe, allege design defects, fraudulent concealment, misrepresentations about safety, negligence and failure to warn minor users and parents about risks.
According to the 80-page complaint, the child met the unnamed predator online in 2021, when he exploited her age and vulnerability to build a false emotional connection before engaging in grooming and sending explicit content, including videos of him performing solo sex acts, until 2023. The lawsuit does not state whether the conduct resulted in criminal charges or a conviction.
The complaint argues the girl's case is not isolated, citing hundreds of child-exploitation lawsuits already pending against Roblox across multiple court dockets. It also criticizes the platform for allowing user-created games referencing convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Sean "Diddy" Combs, and notes Roblox appears regularly on the National Center on Sexual Exploitation's Dirty Dozen List.
Roblox previously settled a lawsuit brought by the Nevada Attorney General's Office this year, agreeing to pay $12.5 million and implement safeguards including age verification for Nevada users, barring minors from encrypted messaging and restricting who they can communicate with. A company spokesperson previously told the Review-Journal that "criminal behavior has no place" on the platform.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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