A Wisconsin family is suing Roblox after they say their 5-year-old daughter was sexually targeted by adult users on the popular free video game app.
The lawsuit alleges the girl was sexually exploited by multiple adults who presented themselves as children on the app. The family’s attorney argues this was enabled by Roblox’s lack of protections, such as not having age and identity verification for its users.
The lawsuit is seeking unspecified monetary damages on half of the girl, who lives with her family in Outagamie County. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court in the Northern District of California, where Roblox is located.
Roblox has nearly 112 million daily users. It allows its users to create various online games that can then be shared and interacted with by users’ avatars.
“This case against Roblox is a terrifying reminder of the world we live in where capitalist greed far outweighs humanity,” Matthew Dolman, the family attorney and principal of Dolman Law Group, said in a statement. “There have never been sufficient safety measures and protocols in place.”
The lawsuit alleges several adults sent the 5-year-old girl explicit photos of themselves and graphic messages. They then coerced her to send sexually explicit images and videos back to them. The lawsuit says the girl’s mother would not have allowed her daughter to use Roblox, if she had known about the lack of protections for its users.
It says the girl has since suffered “life-altering psychological and emotional injuries” and “severe mental anguish and pain, and loss of enjoyment of life.”
In a statement, a Roblox spokesperson said it could not comment directly on the litigation but was “deeply troubled by any incident that endangers our users.” The spokesperson said that Roblox works with law enforcement and child safety organizations to try to prevent the sexual exploitation of children.
“While no system is perfect, Roblox is designed with rigorous built in safety features,” read the statement. “We also understand that this is an industry-wide issue, and we are actively dedicating resources, such as parental controls, to empower caregivers and set boundaries for kids, as well as working to develop industry-wide standards and solutions focused on keeping children safe online.”
Roblox has come under intense scrutiny for how child predators have taken to the app with regularity. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed a civil lawsuit against the company on Oct. 7, citing a lack of security for the children who use the app.
The lawsuit filed on behalf of the Wisconsin girl reiterates many of those concerns — and notes it hosts games that are inspired by Sean Combs and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The suit also argues Roblox has “inadequate safety features,” “prioritizes growth over child safety” and “knowingly causes and facilitates the sexual exploitation of children.”
Roblox has responded to criticism in recent years, implementing some safety features, like a chat filter for its users under age 13, and “over 100” other safety features this year, according to the company statement.
The lawsuit called the company’s safety changes inadequate. It claims Roblox doesn’t employ enough moderators and the app’s own developers have concerns with its safety for children.
Dolman Law Group, the Florida-based law firm representing the Wisconsin girl, has represented families from North Carolina and in California in similar lawsuits.
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin 5-year-old girl sexually exploited on Roblox, lawsuit says
