A Nevada family has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, alleging the gaming giant failed to protect their 11-year-old daughter from a man who posed as a teenage boy before allegedly grooming and sexually exploiting her. The case places renewed scrutiny on the safety measures used by one of the world's largest online platforms for children.
The complaint, filed in Clark County District Court on 5 June, claims the girl was targeted in 2024 while playing 'Chained Together', a multiplayer game available through Roblox.
According to the lawsuit, an adult man used the platform's communication tools to befriend the child while pretending to be a teenager, before moving conversations away from Roblox and onto private messaging services.
Court documents allege the contact escalated into what the family describes as 'horrific sexual exploitation'. The lawsuit claims the man sent sexually explicit images of himself and coerced the girl into sending explicit photographs in return.
Claims Put Roblox's Child Safety Policies Under Spotlight
The lawsuit argues that Roblox's existing safeguards failed to prevent an adult from making contact with a young child and maintaining communication long enough to allegedly carry out a grooming campaign.
Lawyers for the family claim the company could have prevented the abuse through stronger age verification systems and more effective identity checks.
'Had Roblox implemented even basic age and identity verification or other common sense safety measures, [the child] would never have been placed in contact with these predators and would not have been harmed,' the complaint states.
The filing goes further, alleging Roblox failed to adequately warn parents about the risks children face on the platform. According to the lawsuit, the girl's mother would not have allowed her daughter to use Roblox had she known more about what the family alleges are shortcomings in the company's safety systems.
Roblox remains one of the most popular gaming platforms among children and teenagers, hosting millions of users who interact through games, chat functions and virtual experiences created by other users. But it has also drawn increasing attention from parents, regulators and child safety advocates concerned about online exploitation.
Family Alleges Lasting Psychological Harm
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and alleges the child suffered severe emotional and psychological consequences as a result of the alleged abuse.
According to court filings, the girl, now aged 12, experienced anxiety, fear, humiliation, emotional distress and suicidal ideation. The complaint states she continues to receive mental health treatment.
Christian Morris, an attorney representing the family, said the parents believed Roblox offered a safe environment for children.
'Roblox holds itself out as a fun place for kids to have fun, and that's exactly what they thought it was,' Morris told local broadcaster KTNV.
'Never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined that by playing a game, Chained Together, that it would end up with these sexually explicit texts destroying the self-image of their daughter, the shame and guilt that she lives with.'
The family argues the alleged harm extended far beyond the online interactions themselves, leaving lasting effects that continue to shape the child's daily life.
Wider Legal Pressure Facing Big Tech
The lawsuit arrives at a time when technology companies are facing growing legal and political pressure over the safety of children online. Roblox has faced similar allegations in other lawsuits, although the company has consistently maintained that protecting young users is a priority.
In a statement provided to People, a Roblox spokesperson said, 'Criminal behavior has no place' on the platform.
'While no system is perfect, we continue to evolve and strengthen our protections every day,' the spokesperson added.
Alexandra Walsh of Anapol Weiss, who leads federal litigation involving claims that Roblox enabled the sexual exploitation and assault of minors, said the lawsuit reflects concerns raised in numerous cases filed across the United States.
'This lawsuit highlights an alarming reality: When Big Tech prioritizes engagement and profits over safety, children are the ones who pay the price,' Walsh said.
She added that Roblox has faced repeated allegations that predators use the platform to identify, groom and exploit children, claims the company disputes.
