13-Year-Old Groomed, Kidnapped By way of Roblox: Household Sues Gaming Big – Milberg

Lawsuit Alleges Gaming Platform Enabled Predator’s Grooming, Kidnapping, Sex Trafficking and Rape of 13-Year-Old Girl; SGGH and Milberg Law Firms symbolize over 400 victims of sexual exploitation on Roblox and Discord

DES MOINES, IOWA – A lawsuit filed on Tuesday alleges that Roblox Corporation enabled the grooming, exploitation, kidnapping and rape of a 13-year-old lady by making a “digital hunting ground” for predators whereas falsely advertising and marketing their platforms as protected for kids.

The criticism, filed in Polk County Circuit Court by Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC and Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC (“Milberg”), particulars how a predator used Roblox to realize entry to, groom, and sexually abuse the younger plaintiff in what attorneys describe as a preventable tragedy enabled by company negligence.

According to the lawsuit, Plaintiff is a 13-year-old baby who was launched to an grownup predator on Roblox unbeknownst to her dad and mom, groomed, after which kidnapped from her grandmother’s West Des Moine, Iowa house on May 24, 2025, trafficked throughout a number of states the place she was repeatedly sexually abused and raped.

The criticism alleges this follows a well-documented sample that the corporate was conscious of however failed to stop, regardless of having the technological means to take action.

“This case exposes how one of the world’s largest platforms deliberately chose profits over the safety of children,” mentioned Martin D. Gould, Founding Partner of Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC.

“Despite knowing their apps were hunting grounds for predators, Roblox continued to market themselves as a safe space for kids to learn while refusing to implement basic safety features. They had every tool necessary to prevent this abuse – age verification, effective parental controls, proper monitoring systems – but implementing these safeguards might have reduced their user engagement metrics, so they chose to leave children vulnerable instead,” mentioned Gould.

“What happened to our client was every parent’s worst nightmare. Tragically, it was not an isolated incident on Roblox, but the predictable result of deliberate corporate choices that prioritized growth over child safety,” mentioned Steven L. Vanderporten, Partner at Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC.

The lawsuit presents in depth proof that Roblox was conscious that predators have been widespread throughout its gaming platform – which it has repeatedly professed was “designed for 8-18 year olds.” Roblox’s personal inner information reveals studies of suspected baby sexual exploitation jumped from 675 in 2019 to 13,316 in 2023. Multiple legal circumstances have documented predators utilizing Roblox to take advantage of kids, whereas leaked inner paperwork revealed Roblox staff felt stress to keep away from security measures which may cut back consumer engagement. Child security organizations have repeatedly named each platforms to their “Dirty Dozen” lists of firms facilitating sexual exploitation.

Despite this information, Roblox launched in depth advertising and marketing campaigns claiming their platform was protected. Roblox claimed “safety is in our DNA” and promised “cutting-edge technologies” to guard customers, and guaranteed dad and mom of “zero-tolerance” for endangering kids all whereas claiming security was “at the core of everything we do.” The criticism alleges this follows a well-documented sample the corporate was conscious of however failed to stop, regardless of having the technological means to take action.

The criticism particulars how Roblox selected progress over baby security by refusing to implement fundamental protections. Failing to require age verification or efficient parental controls, default settings permitting adults to simply contact kids, and Roblox admitted to buyers that it was ‘unable to prevent’ inappropriate interactions whereas publicly claiming in any other case.

Gary Klinger, Co-Lead Counsel and Senior Partner at Milberg, emphasised the systemic nature of the businesses’ failures.

These firms had the data, expertise, and assets to stop this abuse, however selected to not act as a result of it’d harm their consumer progress metrics. This isn’t about one unhealthy actor slipping via the cracks – it’s about company insurance policies that intentionally created the right circumstances for predators to thrive. Roblox knew precisely how their platforms have been getting used to take advantage of kids, that they had the information exhibiting hundreds of incidents, but they continued to market to folks with false guarantees of security whereas sustaining the very options that enabled this abuse. Our shopper’s life has been ceaselessly modified as a result of these firms valued their inventory costs greater than her wellbeing.

-Gary Klinger, Senior Partner

The plaintiff seeks compensatory and punitive damages via eight counts together with fraudulent misrepresentation, negligence, and strict legal responsibility claims. The lawsuit comes amid rising scrutiny of social media platforms’ baby security practices and up to date investigations revealing widespread exploitation on Roblox, together with the invention of lots of of Roblox video games themed round convicted criminals.

The Plaintiff is represented by Martin D. Gould, Michael R. Grieco, and Steven L. Vanderporten of Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC, Gary Klinger, Melissa Nafash, and Melinda Maxson of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC, and J. Barton Goplerud of Shindler, Anderson, Goplerud & Weese, PC.

About Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC
Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley (SGGH) is a boutique nationwide private harm agency devoted to advocating for victims of abuse and catastrophic accidents in high-stakes litigation. SGGH attorneys pleasure themselves on being Innovators of Law and Providers of Justice. SGGH attorneys have litigated and received circumstances nationwide, representing hundreds of people, together with hundreds of survivors of rape, sexual assault, and childhood sexual abuse in most of the highest profile abuse circumstances throughout the nation. These circumstances embrace claims towards non-public and public establishments reminiscent of University of Michigan (Dr. Robert Anderson), Michigan State University (Dr. Larry Nasser), Endeavor Health (Dr. Fabio Ortega), skilled sports activities groups, non-public and public faculties, elite non-public boarding faculties, orphanages, foster care applications, hospitals, psychological well being services, Fortune 500 firms, rich people (Jeffrey Epstein), and quite a few non secular establishments and associated entities.

Recent successes embrace collaborating in international settlements valued at almost $3 billion, with over $400 million recovered on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse and exploitation previously 18 months. In addition to securing document recoveries, SGGH attorneys have additionally labored with purchasers to fought for and safe coverage adjustments, serving to shield future generations of youngsters and adults from abuse and exploitation. For instance, as a part of a latest $21.3 million settlement within the lodge abuse case final 12 months (one of many largest settlements within the nation for a person survivor), the agency additionally efficiently secured coverage and coaching adjustments for hundreds of inns enhancing lodge pre-employment screening and security for lodge friends and staff nationwide.

About Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC
For over 50 years, Milberg and its associates have been preventing to guard victims’ rights and have recovered over $50 billion for purchasers. A pioneer in school motion litigation, Milberg is widely known as a frontrunner in defending the rights of victims of company wrongdoing.

Milberg is presently concerned in a number of the largest and most complicated class motion circumstances pending within the nation and is especially energetic within the discipline of Information Technology litigation. Over the previous three years, Milberg has settled on a class-wide foundation greater than fifty (50) class actions involving privateness violations in state and federal courts throughout the nation as lead or co-lead counsel; no different plaintiffs’ class motion agency within the nation has settled and received court docket approval of extra information breach and information privateness class actions throughout this era. The agency has efficiently introduced forth cybersecurity-related claims towards main firms together with Meta Platforms, Snap Inc. (Snapchat), Walmart, Bose, CVS, Facebook, Gannett Co., Advocate Aurora Health, Inc., Novant Health, Inc. and extra – leading to lots of of tens of millions of {dollars} in settlements.

Milberg is equally dedicated to serving to survivors of sexual abuse, assault, and exploitation search justice. Milberg attorneys deal with complicated sexual abuse circumstances involving faculties, juvenile detention services, non secular establishments, healthcare suppliers, employers, and different entities that allowed abuse to happen. Milberg is actively representing sexual abuse victims in circumstances towards Expedia Group Inc. and Securitas Security Services USA Inc., actual property moguls Tal and Oren Alexander, and the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan.