(NewsNation) — A new lawsuit against the popular gaming platform Roblox lleges the app has allowed a culture of pedophilia to run rampant.
The Texas man who filed the suit is referred to as John Doe. He says he was only 11 years old when an individual in his 30s posed as a minor and began requesting illicit images from him in exchange for money on the platform.
Roblox has responded to the lawsuit, in part saying, “We are deeply troubled by any incident that endangers our users,” also adding, “While no system is perfect, Roblox has implemented rigorous safeguards, including restrictions on sharing personal information, links, and user-to-user image sharing, and prohibiting sexual conversations.
While the alleged abuse happened in 2007, adults are now coming forward in separate lawsuits against the company on behalf of children in at least nine different states.
NewsNation’s “Morning in America with Hena Doba” spoke with John Doe, now 29 years old, from the Texas lawsuit who has requested his real name be omitted.
Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse on Roblox
Roblox faces multiple lawsuits of a similar nature across the United States, alleging it hasn’t done enough to protect children from predators.
Louisiana’s attorney general filed a lawsuit this month, accusing the gaming platform of failing to protect children using it.
“As a child, you’re looking for new games, something to keep you entertained and excited, and Roblox had this allure because it came with the guise of Legos, and I was a big Lego kid” Doe said.
He said he doesn’t remember there being an age verification requirement at the time.
“People with different age ranges types, so it was very easy to kind of branch out and start exploring, talking to different people, but as a child you don’t know the dangers of of someone pretending to be someone who they’re not,” Doe said.
The person was in his 30s, claiming to be 17, Doe said. The encounter ended in Doe being molested.
“I have four kids of my own. That’s why it’s very important for me to to get this information out here,” Doe said. “It’s been happening for over 15 years. … They’re hearing the same stories over and over. It’s like what is going on? But you know what? What can we do to stop this from happening anymore?”
Roblox said it has implemented safety measures since 2007, which is when John alleges his abuse took place.
His lawyer, Martin Gould’s firm represents over 300 victims of sexual exploitation, specifically on Roblox.
“It said it was educational. It wasn’t just a game for fun. This is something that was going to teach kids coding and really being educational game for them. Parents were throwing themselves at this game without any idea of the serious dangers that were on this site,” Gould told NewsNation. “They’re outraged about that, and now [Roblox is] trying to put a muzzle on a lot of these survivors.”
NewsNation’s Ashley Soriano contributed to this article.