Two online platforms sued by boy, 13, alleging abuse by predator
Roblox-Discord being sued after man allegedly posed as teen to groom minor
Two online platforms, popular with children, are being sued on behalf of a 13-year-old boy who says he was taken advantage of by a man posing as a teenager. The lawsuit says the man allegedly paid the boy for explicit photos. He also allegedly arranged a meetup for sex with the boy, but the boy failed to show up.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Two online platforms popular with children are being sued on behalf of a 13-year-old boy who says he was taken advantage of by a man posing as a teenager.
Request for explicit photos
What they're saying:
The lawsuit filed in San Mateo County Superior Court says Roblox and Discord are liable for allowing a predator to pay the boy for explicit photos.
"He was targeted by a predator who befriended him, thought he was dealing with another teenager," said attorney Anne Marie Murphy, an attorney for the boy. She says the man "paid our client Robux, which is a digital currency, in exchange for video and explicit naked photographs."
According to the lawsuit, it didn’t stop there.
"The predator then tried to pay a larger sum of Robux to meet up and have sex. The predator found out the address of the child," Murphy said.
She said the man threatened the boy after he failed to show up. The boy’s parents later found texts between the two and contacted police.
Murphy has filed a lawsuit against both San Mateo-based Roblox and Discord of San Francisco, alleging misrepresentation and negligence and saying both companies facilitated child exploitation and abuse.
The other side:
In a statement, Roblox said, "We cannot comment on pending litigation. With that being said, Roblox takes the safety of its community very seriously. We are constantly innovating and launching new safety features, including more than 40 safety features and policies in 2024."
Discord did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
Murphy says the companies are paying lip service to safety. Her client’s father had researched both companies and believed it was safe for his son to sign up. Now they’re full of regret, and Murphy says the boy is emotionally scarred.
"This was so devastating to this family that they uprooted themselves from their longtime home," Murphy said.
Murphy says the man accused of preying on the boy, Sebastian Romero, was recently sentenced to 12 years in prison in a sextortion case involving another boy.
Guidelines for parents
Jill Murphy, chief content officer at Common Sense Media, said, "You hear about them, unfortunately, all too frequently when it comes to gaming platforms or social media platforms. We try and encourage parents at common sense media to make sure that they are really paying attention to what their kids are doing online."
A father and daughter, out shopping in San Mateo, told KTVU they, too are worried about dangers online.
"It’s very concerning," said Pelayo Carranza. "Hopefully, we’ve done a good job as parents to prevent that from happening."
His daughter Savannah Carranza, 15, agreed, saying, "It’s definitely scary. I have a little sister and the thought of anything like that ever happening to her genuinely freaks me out."
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan
The Source: Interviews, lawsuit
Featured
Nvidia uses AI to make it easier to learn sign language
Santa Clara-based Nvidia on Thursday announced a new AI platform, with the goal of making it easier to learn sign language. Nvidia is partnering with the American Society for Deaf Children to create a new teaching tool called "Signs."