Mother’s Lawsuit Indicates 5-Year-Old Girl Sexually Exploited on Roblox

Allegations are similar to those presented in a growing number of Roblox sexual exploitation lawsuits now being pursued by families nationwide, which may soon be consolidated in the federal court system as part of a new MDL.

A lack of protection for children on the Roblox platform resulted in multiple men preying upon a 5-year-old girl, according to a lawsuit filed by the child’s mother, which indicates that some of the sexual predators convinced the young child to send them explicit photos and videos of herself.

The complaint (PDF) was brought against Roblox Corporation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on October 8, by a woman identified only as Jane Doe L.Y., indicating that she is the mother and guardian of a minor child, identified as Jane Doe L.W, to protect her privacy.

Roblox is a popular video game construction set, which was launched in September 2006, and has been agressively marketed towards children, allowing users to build their own games, create customizable avatars, make in-game purchases and explore player-created worlds and games. 

However, as part of the game’s popular design, it also allows players to contact each other, which has led to hundreds of reports of children being sexually exploited through Roblox, including incidents where they were blackmailed or groomed into sending explicit photos and videos. In other cases, children have even been abducted and raped by predators who were prowling the app looking for young victims.

The company now faces an increasing number of Roblox child exploitation lawsuits from parents like Jane Doe L.Y., who, along with advocacy groups and law enforcement, warn that the game’s open chat features and lack of effective moderation create a dangerous environment for young users. The lawsuits allege that the company has intentionally turned a blind eye toward these problems, while continuing to profit from the game’s popularity.

According to the complaint, L.W. began playing on the Roblox app when she was just five years old, after her mother saw marketing that strongly indicated it was safe for children. What she did not know is that it was a hunting ground for pedophiles, the lawsuit notes.

The mother indicates her daughter was targeted by multiple sexual predators who posed as other children, grooming the little girl and gaining her trust. Once they convinced the five-year-old that they were friends, they began sending her graphic messages, sexually explicit images, and eventually convinced the child to send them explicit images and videos of herself.

As a result of the predation allowed by Roblox, the mother says her daughter has suffered “unimaginable harm”, including mental trauma and a loss of trust. She indicates Roblox has known about the problem for years, and failed to adequately address the issue.

Last month Roblox announced that new age verification technology will be implemented on the platform this year. However, many critics have said the measures are too little, and for many victimized children on the app, far too late.

“This action seeks to hold Roblox accountable for recklessly and deceptively operating businesses in a way that led to the sexual exploitation of Plaintiff. The heinous acts against Plaintiff were committed by dangerous child predators whose actions were possible only because of the egregiously tortious conduct of Defendant.”

– Jane Doe, L.Y., et al. v. The Roblox Corporation

The lawsuit presents claims of fraudulent concealment and misrepresentations, negligent misrepresentation, negligence, negligence – failure to warn, negligence – unreasonable design, negligent undertaking, strict liability – design defect, and strict liability – failure to warn. It seeks both compensatory and punitive damages.

Motion for Roblox Lawsuit Consolidation

Last month, a plaintiff filed a motion with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict litigation (JPML) requesting that all Roblox child exploitation lawsuits filed in federal courts nationwide be consolidated in the Northern District of California as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL), which the motion says would prevent conflicting rulings from different judges as well as duplicate discovery, and would serve the convenience of the parties, witnesses and court.

If the JPML agrees to the motion, the cases will be transferred before one U.S. District Judge for coordinated pretrial proceedings. However, the lawsuits will remain individual, separate claims. If no resolution or Roblox settlement agreement is reached during the pretrial proceedings, the lawsuits would be remanded back to their originating districts for individual trial dates.

Those who believe they or their children were harmed or exploited through Roblox can have their case reviewed by a Roblox lawyer to see if they qualify for a lawsuit or potential settlement. Case evaluations are confidential, and lawyers work on a contingency basis, meaning no fees or costs are charged unless compensation is secured.

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