Louisiana files lawsuit against Roblox, calling it a platform for sexual predators

Louisiana attorney general Liz Murrill is suing gaming platform Roblox (Image courtesy of Roblox)

Louisiana is suing Roblox, the popular online gaming site, claiming it has distributed child sexual abuse material and fails to protect or notify users of sexual predators. 

Attorney General Liz Murrill filed the lawsuit Thursday in Livingston Parish at the 21st Judicial District Court. The lawsuit alleges Roblox endangers Louisiana children as an unchecked forum for sexual predators to connect with children and allows the sharing of sexually explicit material.

Roblox’s lack of age verification and warnings of the danger pertaining to sexual predators are listed in the lawsuit as key missing elements that could protect children. 

“Due to Roblox’s lack of safety protocols, it endangers the safety of the children of Louisiana. Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritizes user growth, revenue, and profits over child safety,” Murrill said in a news release. 

Louisiana’s lawsuit follows legal action brought against video game companies with children as a primary user base. A class action lawsuit filed in California in May against the companies that own Minecraft and Fortnite claims the two games cause harm and addiction, and that they encourage unchecked in-game purchases and excessive playing time.  

Murrill’s lawsuit cites an arrest made July 15 in Livingston Parish as an instance of child endangerment linked to Roblox. The suspect possessed child sexual abuse images, actively used the gaming site and used voice-altering technology on his computer to mimic a younger feminine voice, allegedly to lure and sexually exploit young players, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also cites issues with lack of adequate age verification for Roblox “experiences,” games created by independent users. Games with titles such as Escape to Epstein Island, Diddy Party and Public Bathroom Simulator Vibe can be easily labeled by users in the “all ages (suitable to everyone)” category, according to the lawsuit, making sexually explicit material, simulated sexual activity such as child gang rape, and open trading of child pornography among gamers more accessible to children. 

The state of Louisiana is suing the San Mateo, California-based company for restitution, damages and attorneys fees. 

Roblox has not yet responded to a request for comment about the lawsuit. 

This is a developing story.