Lawsuit claims Roblox, Discord failed to protect Galveston girl groomed and assaulted

HOUSTON - A new federal lawsuit filed Wednesday claims that two major tech platforms failed to protect a 13-year-old girl from an online predator who later sexually assaulted her in her own home.

Discord, Roblox named in new lawsuit out of Galveston County

The complaint, filed in Galveston County, alleges that the girl was groomed by a man she met on Roblox and Discord—popular platforms among children and teens. According to the suit, the man eventually broke into her home and recorded the abuse.

"Her life has been horrifically altered, and it never should have happened," said Alexandra Walsh, lead attorney on the case and shareholder at the law firm Anapol Weiss. "Roblox and Discord prioritized profits over safety, and now they must be held accountable."

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The lawsuit accuses both companies of negligence and failing to implement basic safeguards to protect minors, despite marketing themselves as child-friendly spaces. It argues that both platforms chose user growth and profit over investing in stronger safety measures.

The legal action follows growing pressure from state officials nationwide. The attorneys general in New Jersey and Florida have launched similar investigations and lawsuits against tech companies they say are not doing enough to keep young users safe from exploitation.

Tech safety

Tech experts also warn parents about the dangers of online platforms and urge them to be vigilant about knowing their children's online activity. 

"Parents, you need to know that a platform is not going to be doing nearly enough to be able to safeguard your children. So you need to be the one doing that," says Juan Guevera Torres. 

Torres advises parents to make sure kids are not playing along or late at night when these types of messages tend to appear. He also recommends communicating with your children regularly. 

"If your child mentions a stranger wanting to chat off the platform, or any player, that is a big red flag, and you might want to discuss that with law enforcement," he said.
 

FOX 26 reached out to both Roblox and Discord. Roblox replied with this statement: 

"As a policy we cannot comment on pending litigation. With that being said, Roblox is deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our community and protecting children is a top priority. We invest significant resources in advanced technology, including robust filters and human moderation teams, to detect and address inappropriate content and behavior and do not allow user-to-user image sharing on our platform. We will continue to evolve our safety practices to promote a secure and positive experience for everyone on our platform." Roblox Spokesperson

You can find more information on their Community Standards and practices for family members here. 

Discord has yet to respond.