Roblox Sued After Alleged Kidnap Attempt Of 5-Year-Old

A report yesterday by the New York Post says that a new lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California alleges that Roblox has fostered an unsafe environment for children after a 5-year-old boy was groomed by an adult user pretending to be a child and then targeted in an attempted kidnapping. According to the complaint, the boy regularly played on Roblox when the adult predator used grooming tactics to gain his trust and convince him to disclose personal information, including where he attended school.

Court documents say the child’s mother learned of concerning behavior when another parent alerted her that an unfamiliar adult man had been seen following her son and other students. The boy later told his mother that a man approached him and his sibling, claiming to be their friend from Roblox. When the child responded that the man was not a kid, the man attempted to abduct him. The children resisted and police arrived, prompting the suspect to flee. He was later arrested after the mother filed a police report.

The lawsuit argues that Roblox’s platform design plays a role in allowing adults to pose as children and interact with young users without effective safeguards. With more than 380 million monthly active users, Roblox offers thousands of user-created virtual worlds. The complaint claims that adults have used the platform to engage in inappropriate conduct and that minors can be exposed to sexually explicit content or interactions despite Roblox’s stated safety restrictions.

Attorneys representing the family say their investigation uncovered more than 600 games referencing Sean Combs, known online as “Diddy” games, and more than 900 accounts using variations of Jeffrey Epstein’s name. The suit also mentions themed games such as “Escape to Epstein Island,” which allegedly reference real-world abuse and expose children to harmful content. The mother and son are seeking monetary damages for the emotional and physical impact of the incident.

In a statement, an attorney for the family said the case highlights the dangers that arise when large platforms fail to implement meaningful protections for minors. The lawsuit argues that age verification, monitoring, and content moderation on Roblox fall short of what is necessary to keep children safe.

Roblox responded by stating it is “deeply troubled” by the allegations and emphasized that it has strict safety rules for younger users, including limiting chat, blocking the sharing of personal information, and prohibiting user-to-user image exchanges. The company said it launched 145 safety initiatives this year but acknowledged that no system is perfect.

This case is part of a broader pattern of legal action against the gaming platform. In October, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed suit accusing Roblox of enabling widespread child exploitation and exposing minors to harmful content. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a similar lawsuit, while Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed suit against Roblox last month. Several other civil lawsuits have been filed against the platform over sexploitation of minors.