Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman is suing Roblox, calling the gaming and social media platform the "website of choice for child predators."
In announcing the lawsuit on Tuesday, Coleman said Roblox has knowingly created a playground for predators to distribute sexually explicit and violent material.
"We learned that after the gruesome assassination of Charlie Kirk, sickening so-called assassination simulators immediately popped up on Roblox," stated Coleman during a news conference in Frankfort. "They allowed children as young as five to access bloody images of the shooting."
Nearly two-thirds of all kids in the United States between the ages of 9-12 play games on the Roblox platform, according to the attorney general.
"Like many parents, I thought Roblox is a 'safe' choice, like a fenced-in backyard for kids gaming. That is the genius, and danger, I found of Roblox – the illusion of safety it gives parents like me," said Jefferson County mom Courtney Norris. "The reality is, Roblox makes it nearly impossible to police as a parent. It takes constant vigilance. Parents are doing their part, now it's time for platforms like Roblox to do theirs."
Wildly popular among children and teens, Roblox boasts about 85 million active daily users.
The company was valued at $41billion when it went public in 2021. Coleman, a former FBI agent, accuses the company of prioritizing profits over safety.
"This is not happening in the shadows. This vile conduct, and the criminals behind it, they've been allowed to exist right in the open where innocent children think they're just playing a cartoon game," said Coleman. "Here is my message to parents. Get your kids off Roblox. Do it today."
Earlier this year, a 25-year-old Kentucky man with ties to an extremist sextortion group called "764" pleaded guilty as part of a plot to groom, extort, and even kill children as young as eight years old using various online platforms, including Roblox.
Coleman's lawsuit seeks to force the company to implement safety features such as parental consent and age verification, which the company says is currently in testing.
"Defendants do not require users to verify their age upon sign-up," Coleman wrote in the complaint. "As such, child predators can— and do — establish accounts to pose as children."
Coleman's complaint alleges violations of Kentucky's Consumer Protection Act, negligence, and a failure to warn parents and kids of the platform's dangers. In addition to stronger safety guardrails, the lawsuit seeks to penalize the company up to $2,000 per violation.
His complaint filed in Madison County Circuit Court follows a similar lawsuit against Roblox filed by Louisiana's attorney general in August.
Roblox has, so far, not responded to a request for comment. In a post on "X," formerly known as Twitter, the gaming platform says it's committed to building the "safest place on the internet," highlighting the company's inaugural Parent and Caregiver Council to help shape products and policies.
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