Roblox and Discord are being sued, again, following the grooming and kidnapping of a minor in California.
A 10-year-old girl, who was an avid user of both Roblox and Discord, was groomed by a 27-year-old child predator who pretended to be a child her age.
The predator successfully “exploited (her) vulnerability and age to develop a friendship” with the child via Roblox and Discord, the lawsuit alleges.
While involved in this “friendship,” the 27-year-old manipulated the child into giving out personal information like her physical address.
Once he had this information, the predator drove to the young girl’s home and kidnapped her, holding Jane Doe (as named in the lawsuit) “against her will for an extended period.”
The lawsuit alleges that the man and the child stayed in a hotel parking lot after being denied a room.
Following the kidnapping, law enforcement was informed and found the girl in the predator’s car “in a state of distress.” The man was subsequently arrested and is facing numerous charges.
Lawyers suggest that if Roblox and Discord had screened users before allowing them to use the apps, this child wouldn’t have been “exposed to the large number of predators trolling the platforms.”
Furthermore, the lawsuit states that if any form of age and identity verification had been implemented on Roblox or Discord, then Jane Doe would’ve never interacted with the child predator.
The child “has suffered unimaginable harm. Her innocence has been snatched from her forever,” her lawyers have said.
This lawsuit is just one of many brought against Roblox and Discord, alleging negligence and misrepresentation of safety practices on the platform’s behalf.
Anapol Weiss, the law firm representing Jane Doe and her father (John Doe), believes that Roblox and Discord are aware that predators are exploiting children via their platforms.
Cybernews is awaiting comment from Anapol Weiss regarding the ongoing litigation.
This isn’t Robox’s first rodeo
This incident isn’t unique, as the lawsuit states that many other children have been victimized due to Roblox and Discord’s “negligence and defectively designed apps.”
Roblox was previously sued by another Jane Doe and her mother after a pedophile lured the child into engaging in sexual acts in person after meeting on Roblox. Jane Doe was only 11 years old when her predator raped her.
Another example presented in the lawsuit refers to a seven-year-old girl who was raped by two male avatars in the virtual space, specifically in a “playground.”
A previous lawsuit launched against Roblox states that the “child-friendly” platform facilitated sexualized experiences on its site.
Children can play in “condo games,” which are described as “predatory digital environments” that allow users to take off their virtual clothes and engage in “disturbing simulated sexual activities with other Roblox users.”
“They can also play games like “Public Bathroom Simulator Vibe,” which allows access to users as young as nine years old and enables users to simulate sexual activity in virtual bathrooms, as well as virtual strip clubs, where child avatars perform sexually explicit acts, like giving lap dances to patrons,” the lawsuit claims.
There were also Roblox games relating to the convicted criminal Sean “Diddy” Combs and the disgraced American financier and child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Update: Cybernews received a statement from Attorney Alexandra Walsh of Anapol Weiss saying “Roblox and Discord operate platforms that facilitate predators getting access to children. This case is about holding Roblox and Discord accountable for creating this dangerous environment for kids, all the while falsely assuring families their platforms are safe. Our lawsuit asserts that these companies’ design choices and safety failures enabled the grooming and abduction of a young girl. The law doesn’t allow corporations to profit off kids while ignoring foreseeable harm.”
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