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A former volunteer firefighter from Chili, New York is now facing federal charges after investigators say he used Roblox to communicate inappropriately with minors, ABC affiliate WHAM News Channel 13 reported today. According to a criminal complaint obtained by 13WHAM, Vincent Steiner of Chili exchanged sexual text messages with a 12 year old girl over several months. The messages reportedly began around Christmas and were not brought to authorities until March, when the child’s father contacted the FBI National Threat Operations Center.
The complaint states that Steiner first connected with the girl through Roblox chat. Investigators later reviewed his Roblox communications and found additional inappropriate messages with a 13 year old girl who had communicated with him using three separate accounts, according to the complaint. The victim reported that she and Steiner exchanged phone numbers and continued their conversations beyond the platform.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Steiner’s home in Chili on July 22. According to the complaint, investigators recovered a phone containing illegal images involving minors, including images of the 13 year old victim. Steiner was arrested on November 6 and charged with production and attempted production of child pornography, as well as sexual exploitation of children.
Court records show Steiner was released from custody after forfeiting his home to post an $82,118 bond. In a public statement, Chili Fire Chief Andrew Wilkinson said Steiner resigned from the department in August and noted that he “has no information that any of the allegations referenced occurred while he was on duty.” The department emphasized that it routinely cooperates with law enforcement and could not offer additional comments because the matter involves a former member and remains under investigation.
Recent civil litigation has raised broader concerns about the safety of children on Roblox. Multiple lawsuits across the United States, including high profile filings in Texas, Kentucky, and California, allege that the platform failed to implement adequate safeguards to protect minors from exploitation. Plaintiffs claim that predators have repeatedly used Roblox to contact, groom, and exploit underage users, often by taking advantage of private chat features or redirecting children to conversations on other platforms. A plaintiff’s attorney representing one group of families has argued that these cases reveal a dangerous pattern in which children are left vulnerable due to weak enforcement of safety measures.
The lawsuits also argue that the company benefited financially from young users while failing to prevent adults from targeting them. In response to public pressure and ongoing litigation, Roblox has recently announced expanded safety measures, including mandatory facial age verification for access to certain chat features. Safety advocates say these changes represent progress but warn that more needs to be done to prevent adults from gaining access to young players. These cases continue to develop, and they highlight growing national concerns about child safety in online gaming environments.
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