Introduction to the Dark Side of Online Gaming
The popular gaming platform Roblox is facing a growing number of lawsuits from families across the country who say the company has failed to protect children from sexual predators who use the platform to target young users.
One of those cases involves a young girl from South Florida whose family says a 19-year-old man she met through Roblox sexually abused her.
The Case of Anthony Borgesano
In 2022, investigators in Highlands County, Florida, questioned Anthony Borgesano, who confessed to engaging in sexual activity with an 11-year-old girl.
“I had, um, how do I explain this — sexual relations with someone obviously younger,” Borgesano told detectives in a recorded interview.
When asked where he met the girl, Borgesano replied, "I met her on a game."
The detective then asked, "Roblox?" to which Borgesano responded, "Yeah."
Borgesano was later sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading no contest to lewd molestation of a child and other charges.
The Rise of Lawsuits Against Roblox
The girl’s family is not speaking publicly to protect her privacy. But their attorney, Stan Gipe, says her case is one of many involving children who were victimized after being contacted through Roblox and other online platforms.
“They’ve created a platform that allows this to happen,” Gipe said.
Several families in Florida and across the country are taking legal action against the popular online gaming platform Roblox, alleging it has become a hunting ground for child sex predators and that the company has failed to adequately warn the public about dangers to young users.
Explicit Content on Roblox
According to Gipe, his firm represents hundreds of victims in similar cases.
In their lawsuit, the South Florida girl’s family accuses Roblox of marketing itself as a “digital playground” that is safe for children — but describes it instead as a platform that “enables pedophiles to hunt, groom, and sexually exploit children.”
The complaint lists several examples of explicit games on the platform, which allows users to create virtual worlds.
“They’ve got ‘Escape from Epstein Island,’ right? These are not games you want your kids playing,” Gipe said.
A Roblox spokesperson told NBC6 these types of games violate company policy, and they have a team that monitors and removes similar content.
Other Cases of Abuse
Earlier this month, Gipe’s firm filed another lawsuit on behalf of another girl in Brevard County who was 9 years old when the family alleges she was manipulated by a predator posing as another child. The family says she was persuaded to send sexually explicit images of herself in exchange for Robux, Roblox’s virtual currency.
In a separate case filed in California, the mother of a boy in that state sued Roblox and Discord, claiming a serial sexual predator befriended her son Ethan Dallas when he was 12. The lawsuit alleges the predator convinced Ethan to share explicit images of himself and then threatened him for years. Ethan died by suicide in April 2024 at age 15.
Call for Accountability
Ethan’s mother, Rebecca Dallas, said in a statement she wants accountability and for other parents to hear this message:
“Nothing will bring my son back,” she wrote in a statement, “But if I can save even one more family from the same pain and suffering by speaking out, then at least I know Ethan didn’t die in vain.”
Last week, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced his office had issued criminal subpoenas to Roblox over child safety concerns.
“Companies like Roblox have become breeding grounds for predators to get to and have access to our kids,” Uthmeier said in a video statement posted to Instagram.
Response from Roblox
Roblox called the attorney general’s claims false, saying the company “continuously monitors communications to detect and remove harmful content.”
In a statement to NBC6 Investigates, a Roblox spokesperson said:
“While we can’t comment on claims raised in litigation, Roblox’s vision is to be the safest place on the internet, which is why our policies are purposely stricter than those found on many other platforms.”
The company also said it plans to roll out facial age estimation technology for all users by the end of the year to help verify the ages of players.
Conclusion
The cases of abuse and the subsequent lawsuits against Roblox highlight the need for increased vigilance and safety measures on online gaming platforms.
Gipe says the company should have implemented age-verification technology long ago.
“They had the technology. The ability was out there — they just chose not to implement it,” he said.
Roblox responded that the age-verification technology “only recently started to prove effectiveness for a wider age range,” and the rollout will begin in December.
Gipe says the company has an obligation to make parents aware of the risks that exist on the platform.
“If Roblox is a product where your child is likely to run into a sexual predator — even has that chance — you need to warn parents,” he said.
FAQs
- What is Roblox, and what kind of platform is it?
Roblox is an online gaming platform that allows users to create and play a wide variety of games. - What are the allegations against Roblox?
The allegations against Roblox include failing to protect children from sexual predators and not adequately warning the public about the dangers to young users. - What is being done to address the issue?
Roblox plans to roll out facial age estimation technology for all users by the end of the year to help verify the ages of players. - What can parents do to protect their children?
Parents should be aware of the risks that exist on online gaming platforms and take steps to monitor their child’s activity and ensure they are using the platform safely. - Are there any other companies involved in the lawsuits?
Yes, Discord is also named in one of the lawsuits, alleging that a serial sexual predator used the platform to befriend and exploit a young boy.
