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This story mentions suicide. The National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached by dialing 988.
A Boone County family has filed a lawsuit against Roblox Corporation and Discord Inc. after the death by suicide of their 13-year-old daughter in 2024, Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati ABC affiliate WCPO reported Friday. The complaint, filed by a Kentucky family, is one of several nationwide alleging that major gaming and chat platforms fail to protect minors from predatory and violent online communities.
The lawsuit contends that the girl “was pushed to suicide by an online community dedicated to glorifying violence and emulating notorious mass shooters.” It further accuses Roblox and Discord of operating platforms where adults can easily access and exploit children for sexual or violent purposes, alleging that both companies knowingly endanger minors by prioritizing user growth and engagement over safety.
“This deliberate indifference has devastated the lives of children who use (Roblox and Discord) apps,” the lawsuit states.
Toxic Online Communities and Emotional Manipulation
According to the complaint, the 13-year-old was a frequent Roblox user who experienced bullying and turned to the platform for social interaction. The lawsuit claims this made her vulnerable to “communities of violent extremists” that prey on isolated children. Among these was a group referred to as the “True Crime Community” (TCC), which allegedly idolizes mass shooters and overlaps with extremist ideologies.
The filing asserts that the girl was subjected to “emotional manipulation and social pressure” from other Roblox users associated with the TCC, who glorified school shooters and encouraged violence toward oneself and others. These interactions reportedly deepened after the girl joined Discord, where predators continued to exploit her vulnerability.
The family’s complaint argues that her death “was the direct result of Defendants’ unlawful conduct,” and that her parents would never have permitted her to use either app had they known about the nature of these online communities.
Failures in Parental Controls and User Screening
The girl’s parents believed they had implemented sufficient parental controls on both Roblox and Discord. However, the lawsuit claims the platforms’ safety tools are ineffective and fail to prevent predators from contacting minors.
“Despite the parental controls that Plaintiff had attempted to place on (the teen’s) accounts, the platforms allowed predators to contact (her) and allowed these relationships to flourish until her death,” the lawsuit says. The complaint adds that predators “instilled fear and shame” that led the girl to conceal her online interactions.
The family alleges that if either company had adequately screened users or required age verification, their daughter would not have been exposed to violent extremist groups. Both Roblox and Discord require users to create accounts but do not enforce identity or age verification, allowing adults to pose as minors and vice versa.
Lawsuit Seeks Damages and Accountability
The Boone County family is seeking financial damages from Roblox and Discord to cover medical and funeral expenses, along with a jury trial. They argue that both companies’ inaction directly contributed to their daughter’s death and that the platforms have created an unsafe digital environment for children.
A Growing Legal Reckoning for Roblox
This Kentucky lawsuit follows several similar cases nationwide and comes amid broader state-level investigations into online child safety. Earlier this month, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced his own lawsuit against Roblox, calling the gaming platform “a playground for predators.”
Coleman revealed that one of his own children created a Roblox account at age 10 without parental consent, demonstrating how accessible the platform is to minors. He cited public records linking Roblox to “assassination simulators” inspired by real-world events and “extremist sextortion groups” accused of exploiting and threatening children as young as eight.
The state’s complaint alleges that Roblox violated Kentucky’s Consumer Protection Act and seeks penalties of up to $2,000 per violation, plus additional fines.
Attorneys General form Florida and Louisiana have also pursued legal actions against Roblox for allegedly hosting inappropriate content.
Valued at $41 billion when it went public in 2021, Roblox continues to face scrutiny for safety failures and inadequate content moderation. The Boone County case adds another chapter to the growing debate over tech companies’ responsibility to protect children from harmful digital spaces.
If your child has been harmed, exploited, or exposed to predatory online communities through platforms like Roblox or Discord, learn your legal rights with our Roblox Lawsuit Guide.
