‘My daughter, 14, was groomed after meeting man on Roblox’
Teen Girl Groomed Online by Stranger Met on Roblox Platform
A Mother’s Outcry Over Digital Safety Failures
A parent of a 14-year-old girl who was manipulated into sharing intimate content with a man she met on Roblox criticized the gaming platform for insufficient child protection measures. Carlo Tritta, 19, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, targeted the teenager in September 2024 when he was 18, convincing her they were in a romantic relationship. The mother, based in Greater Manchester, described her devastation upon discovering her daughter’s ordeal.
“I said ‘Oh, who’s that?’ and she was crying and saying ‘Please don’t look at my phone, please don’t look at my phone’,” the mother recounted. “I just knew then that’s not her and I needed to see what was on this phone. That’s where it all started to unravel. There were a lot of sexual images, videos, really bad ones.”
Roblox, which hosts over 40 million user-created games, responded to the case with a statement expressing regret and pledging to enhance safety protocols. “With more than 144 million daily active users on Roblox, cases of harm are rare, but we know any incident of harm is one too many,” the spokesperson said. “Our policies firmly prohibit child exploitation and include systems to limit image sharing and chat for younger users.”
Tritta was sentenced to two years and four months at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. He confessed to creating child sexual images, exchanging explicit messages, and forcing the girl to view such content. Additionally, he admitted to intimidating witnesses and damaging property. The mother revealed how Tritta gained access to her daughter’s social media accounts, monitoring her routines and relationships.
“She’d started talking to this person on Roblox for so long, nothing sinister, just chit chat,” the mother explained. “But he encouraged her to shift conversations to other apps, sending takeaways and even giving her a secret phone. The messages became increasingly disturbing.”
Despite being released on bail with conditions to avoid contacting the victim, Tritta violated those rules. He traveled over 200 miles from Hampshire to her home, smashed the doorbell camera, and entered the house. During the visit, he discussed nightmares with the mother while they were in the living room crafting Christmas cards. Tritta also sent the girl two cards, urging her to withhold support from the prosecution and report her family to authorities.
The mother emphasized the need for greater vigilance from parents regarding their children’s online interactions. “It’s dangerous—needs to be watched,” she said. “It’s a kids’ game, but adults are using it to groom children. They should take action to ensure it’s only for kids, not a tool for exploitation. Social media platforms must do more to shield young users.”
