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Roblox knew—and waited. Here are the receipts.

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Roblox had years to fix this. In their SEC S-1—the legally binding prospectus they filed on November 19, 2020—they told investors that moderation and child-safety risks were material to the business. That’s legalese for “if we blow this, the company gets hurt.” You can’t mislead investors in an S-1. And based on what followed, it sure looks like the company said the right things on paper while failing to act with urgency when it mattered. SEC

The DoctorRofatnik timeline (why people lost trust)

People were warning Roblox about DoctorRofatnik (real name: Arnold Castillo) back in 2020. He built clout off a Sonic fan game and lied about who he was—using a Shedletsky-style alias to win kids’ trust. Bloomberg Businessweek later reported (July 2024) that he bragged controversy tripled his earnings after screenshots of predatory chats surfaced in 2020; his game Sonic Eclipse Online finally vanished late 2021, but notably via SEGA copyright action, not because the screenshots alone got him scrubbed. Bloomberg.com

In May 2022, federal agents arrested Castillo. The DOJ says he met a 15-year-old through Roblox, shifted contact to Instagram and Discord, and paid an Uber to bring her from Indiana to New Jersey. He pleaded guilty and, in August 2023, got 15 years in federal prison. Those facts come straight from the Justice Department. Department of Justice+1

If Roblox had acted decisively when the community raised alarms in 2020, maybe that child would never have been in harm’s way. That’s the core of my frustration.

Roblox’s “vigilantes” framing leaves out key reality

On August 13, 2025, Roblox published “Balancing Safety: Our Approach to ‘Vigilantes’ Online,” saying some users impersonated minors and steered chats off-platform in “simulated sexual conversations.” If that happened, yeah, it’s risky and against policy. But that framing conveniently erases what some groups actually do: decoying adults and handing evidence to police. Roblox

And here’s the part that undercuts Roblox’s narrative: prosecutors themselves have credited tips from citizen groups. On May 6, 2025, the U.S. Attorney (WDNY) said a Roblox-linked case began when the leader of an online predator-exposure group went to police—their words, not mine. Online tips led to an arrest. Department of Justice

So why all the scrambling now?

Because the pressure and optics got loud. In mid-August 2025, Louisiana’s Attorney General sued Roblox for failing to protect kids—coverage hit AP, Washington Post, and others—and more suits followed in places like California, Michigan, and New York. These complaints don’t blame citizen stings; they blame Roblox’s product choices and enforcement gaps. AP News+1

On top of lawsuits, Chris Hansen publicly said he’s filming a documentary about Roblox’s predator problem and interviewed Schlep on camera. If those receipts track with cases and court records, PR spin won’t save anyone.

“Doing the right thing can cost engagement”: the MeepCity case study

When Roblox and developers stripped out features predators loved—things like custom bios/outfits and similar lures—MeepCity’s popularity plummeted. Polygon called it “functionally dead.” Translation: strong guardrails can hurt metrics. And that’s exactly the trade-off Roblox avoided for too long.

What Roblox is changing (finally)

After years of dragging feet, we’re seeing movement—much of it 2024–2025:

  • Under-13 DM defaults tightened (Fall 2024); unrated experiences moderated and content labels introduced to give parents clarity. That’s the kind of default that should’ve been there ages ago. Roblox
  • Aug 7, 2025: Roblox open-sourced Sentinel, its early-warning model for risky behavior. The company has touted ~1,200 NCMEC reports in early 2025 tied to AI detection; AP repeated that stat in lawsuit coverage. Roblox+1
  • Aug 7, 2025: Roblox also published how it partners with law enforcement (reporting pipelines, preservation, etc.). Good, but late. Roblox
  • Aug 15, 2025: Roblox described “Trusted Connections”—where less-filtered chat only applies to real-life verified connections. That’s the exact kind of limit families asked for.

I’ll give credit where it’s due. These are the right moves. But it took lawsuits, journalists, and creators screaming about the gap to get here.

The staffing math (why AI-first moderation wasn’t enough)

Roblox leaned hard on automation while keeping human moderation relatively lean for the scale of kids on the platform. For context, TikTok publicly says it has 40,000+ trust & safety pros worldwide. By contrast, reporting on Roblox in 2024 repeatedly pegged human moderation at just a few thousand. That ratio never made sense given Roblox’s younger audience. Newsroom | TikTok+1

About Schlep, letters, and receipts

Thanks to the #FreeSchlep push, Schlep’s been posting heavily on X. He shared a cease-and-desist and what he says is his law firm’s letter telling Roblox to route all contact through counsel. I’m linking those below as unverified social posts so you can see exactly what he claims. The larger point stands: when someone has counsel, you don’t keep sliding into DMs. Handle it professionally, on the record.

On September 6, 2025, I said a case Schlep had been waving receipts on ended in a guilty plea. We’ve now got a primary court record to point to: the Polk County Clerk’s judgment for Amorie Hunt. That judgment confirms the case disposition on three counts related to CSAM, with a sentence of five years’ probation. Now it’s not just a tweet — it’s a court document anyone can open and read.

amorie huntDownload

And yes, those receipts are connected to posts on Schlep’s X feed, where he’s been posting court docs, letters, and updates in real time. I’m keeping those as social sources (useful context; not primary).

For parents (do-it-tonight checklist)

  1. Lock down Roblox: Link your account to your kid’s, lock DMs, and use the new content labels and defaults. (We’ve got a step-by-step guide on our site.)
  2. Expect the platform-hop: Grooming often jumps from Roblox to Discord. Use Discord Family Center, Message Requests, and Teen Safety alerts; teach kids to block/report. Discord also uses PhotoDNA and reports to NCMEC. Those tools exist—use them. Discord Guidance for Parents and Guardians with Teens on Discord
  3. Talk early, talk often: Don’t outsource safety to influencers or any one platform. Keep the convo open so your kid comes to you first.

Quick links for families

Bottom line? Roblox should be ashamed it took this long. They warned investors in 2020, journalism laid it bare in 2024, and only in 2025—under legal and PR heat—did we see sweeping changes. Adults spend more money than kids, and looking the other way stayed lucrative… until it wasn’t.

I’m not a lawyer—I’m Jiffy, I research, I read filings, and I link everything so you can check me. If you are looking for something and can’t find it, please comment and let me know.

1) What’s new on the legal front (confirmed lawsuits)

  • Louisiana v. Roblox (Aug 15, 2025): The state sues Roblox for unfair/deceptive practices tied to child safety. Roblox posted a formal response the next day. (The Washington Post, Roblox Corporate)
  • Doe v. Roblox & Discord (San Mateo, filed Jul 30, 2025): A minor alleges grooming was enabled by platform design. (Complaint PDF.) (Courthouse News)
  • T.T. & D.H. v. Roblox (Iowa, filed Aug 5, 2025): Two minors sue Roblox for negligence/punitive damages after being targeted. (Complaint PDF.) (Courthouse News)
  • St. Louis suit (Aug 22, 2025): Local filing by a teen’s family after alleged grooming; similar case in Kansas City (Aug 27–28). (Spectrum Local News, https://www.kctv5.com)
    Key point: None of these complaints hinge on “vigilantes”—they argue Roblox’s own design and safeguards failed. (Spectrum Local News, Courthouse News)

2) Chris Hansen filmed with Schlep

Hansen confirmed he sat down with Schlep while filming his Roblox predator investigation; coverage followed. This pushes the story into mainstream true-crime media and tests Schlep’s claims against law-enforcement/victim interviews.

3) What Roblox changed since the ban (and why it matters)

Roblox announced a run of safety features and policy shifts—framed as responses to rising scrutiny:

  • Age estimation for communications (rolling out by year-end): selfie-based age checks (or ID) that limit adult–minor contact unless there’s a verified real-life connection. (PC Gamer, The Verge)
  • “Trusted Connections” & age-based comms: more freedom to chat with people you actually know; tighter defaults elsewhere. (Roblox Corporate, Roblox Investor Relations)
  • Open-sourcing “Sentinel” AI: early-warning signals for grooming; Roblox says it helped generate ~1,200 NCMEC reports in H1 2025. (Roblox Investor Relations, AP News)
  • ESRB/IARC ratings for Roblox experiences: standardized ratings to help families judge content at a glance. (The Verge, Roblox Investor Relations)
  • Corporate stance on vigilantes remains: Roblox published why it removed vigilante accounts and how it routes cases to law enforcement. (Roblox Corporate)

Does this equal accountability?
These are concrete steps—especially age checks + ratings—but plaintiffs (and Louisiana) still claim platform design allows grooming to start on Roblox and move off-platform. The lawsuits are how courts will test Roblox’s defenses. (The Washington Post)

4) Impact on victims, fans & Schlep

  • Victims/families: New cases in Missouri/Iowa show more families stepping forward with filings—expect discovery to surface internal records about safety tools and moderation. (Spectrum Local News, Courthouse News)
  • Fans/community: The #FreeSchlep campaign, protests, and viral coverage pulled this out of gaming niches and into mainstream attention—pressure that likely helped accelerate Roblox’s safety announcements. (Spectrum Local News, Louisiana Illuminator)
  • Schlep’s credibility: Hansen filming with him matters because it pairs his material with police/victim sourcing in a format regulators and legislators actually watch. (Instagram)

5) Parents: controls you can use right now

Roblox did update parental controls and its Safety Center this year: linked parent accounts, content/communication limits, and usage insights; more changes arrived alongside Trusted Connections and ratings. We published Snide’s step-by-step parent guide.

(Roblox Corporate, Roblox Support)

6) What’s next (watchlist)

  • Court calendars in Louisiana, California, Iowa, Missouri
  • Rollout of age estimation to comms and IARC ratings to all experiences
  • Hansen doc segment release & any law-enforcement outcomes tied to cases discussed

CTA (10–15s)
Full receipts—lawsuit PDFs, Roblox posts, and Hansen updates—are on lilidognation.com. If you missed the deeper backstory, check my previous Schlep video (linked). Like, comment, and tell me what you want me to pull next—court docs or platform updates.

Since our first video, four things advanced at once: lawsuits, a mainstream documentary segment, new safety tooling, and more families coming forward.

1) Lawsuits now on file

  • State of Louisiana v. Roblox (Aug 15, 2025) — alleges unfair/deceptive practices re: child safety; Roblox responded publicly. (The Washington Post, Roblox Corporate)
  • Doe v. Roblox & Discord (San Mateo Sup. Ct.) — complaint filed Jul 30, 2025 (PDF). (Courthouse News)
  • T.T. & D.H. v. Roblox (Iowa, Polk County) — complaint filed Aug 5, 2025 (PDF). (Courthouse News)
  • Missouri filings — St. Louis case reported Aug 22; Kansas City/Clay County case reported Aug 27–28. (Spectrum Local News, https://www.kctv5.com)
    Pattern: the pleadings target platform design and safety practices, not “vigilantes.” (Spectrum Local News)

2) Hansen x Schlep: filming confirmed

Chris Hansen posted that he sat with Schlep for the Roblox story; coverage followed. This places Schlep’s material alongside law-enforcement and victim interviews, raising stakes for Roblox’s public claims. (Instagram, PC Gamer)

3) What Roblox has changed since

  • Age-based communications & checks: selfie/ID-driven age estimation rolling out across communications, limiting adult–minor contact unless they’re verified to know each other. Trusted Connections aims to unlock chat with people you actually know. (PC Gamer, Roblox Corporate)
  • Open-source grooming detection (Sentinel): Roblox says Sentinel helped generate ~1,200 NCMEC reports in H1’25. (Roblox Investor Relations)
  • Standardized ratings: ESRB/IARC ratings for experiences, replacing the old maturity labels. (The Verge, Roblox Investor Relations)
  • Ongoing stance on vigilantes: Roblox reiterated why those accounts were removed and how it partners with law enforcement. (Roblox Corporate)

🔗 Sources

Roblox statements & policy

Independent coverage (features/controls)

Hansen & Schlep

Lawsuits

Parental controls (official help)

New developments: lawsuits in LA/CA/IA/MO, Chris Hansen filmed with Schlep, and Roblox just announced age checks, ESRB/IARC ratings, and new parental tools. Full receipts + our parent guide are on https://lilidognation.com.
Missed the backstory? Watch my first Schlep video here: [link to your previous video].

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