A California family is taking legal action against Roblox and Discord, claiming the platforms played a direct role in the horrifying grooming and kidnapping of their 10-year-old daughter. The lawsuit, filed in San Mateo Superior Court, accuses both companies of cultivating an environment where child predators thrive, due to negligent design and a lack of proper safeguards.
The young girl was found in April, alongside her pet bird, more than 250 miles away from her home in Kern County, in the company of 27-year-old Matthew Naval. According to law enforcement, the pair first met on Roblox through a hangout space called “Mic Up,” before continuing communication on Discord.
What began as online chats evolved into dangerous grooming. Naval is now facing multiple felony charges, including kidnapping and committing lewd acts with a minor. The complaint alleges that both Roblox and Discord enabled this interaction through poor moderation and by allowing predators to bypass basic safety protocols.
The family describes Roblox as a “digital and real-life nightmare,” citing its popularity among children and its failure to prevent inappropriate interactions. With over 85 million daily active users, 42% of whom are under 12, Roblox’s appeal to young gamers is undeniable, but its inadequate safety measures are now under fire.
The suit alleges that both platforms negligently designed their apps in a way that exposed minors to predators. Despite Discord’s minimum age requirement of 13, the app reportedly does not verify age or provide effective tools to monitor the nature of conversations among users.
Plaintiffs claim the platforms host and promote explicit content, normalize exploitation, and profit from unchecked user growth at the expense of child safety. Alarming reports have revealed the presence of sexually explicit Roblox games, including references to Jeffrey Epstein and disturbing roleplay content, accusations the company denies but have fueled growing concern.
Roblox and Discord, while declining to comment on pending litigation, have emphasized their commitment to child protection, citing investments in AI moderation and human review teams. However, critics argue that the damage is already being done with children left vulnerable while platforms chase profit and user expansion.
As more families come forward, Roblox and Discord now face increasing pressure to answer a critical question: Are they truly doing enough to protect the very children their platforms attract?
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