Roblox's Dark Underbelly: Grooming, Suicides and School Shooter Glorification
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT. As Carlo Tritta is jailed for 28 months after grooming a girl using Roblox, the Mirror takes an in-depth look at the escalating concerns over the online gaming platform, revealing a series of catastrophic safety failures that have left families devastated.
Carlo Tritta's Grooming Case
A 19-year-old man from Eastleigh, Carlo Tritta, has been sentenced to 28 months in prison after using Roblox to groom a 14-year-old girl, sparking renewed fears among parents about the platform's safety. Tritta began targeting the victim in September 2024, with in-game chats escalating into a toxic obsession that saw him travel across the country to her family home in Manchester to threaten them in person.
He "love-bombed" the teenager with gifts, phone calls, and highly sexualised messages on platforms like Snapchat, Discord, and WhatsApp, making her believe they were in a relationship. After the girl's mother discovered intimate images and videos, she reported him to police. Tritta was arrested in August 2025 and bailed under strict conditions, but he continued to escalate matters by contacting the girl's friends, sending cards via Moonpig to drop the case, and even reporting her mother to child services.
In September, Tritta entered the girl's home through the back door, demanding her new number. He was later arrested and charged with perverting the course of justice, receiving a 12-month suspended sentence. Just three days later, he returned to Manchester, entered the home again, and damaged a CCTV camera. He pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including making indecent images of a child and witness intimidation.
In a victim impact statement, the girl said she felt trapped and scared, while her mother described how her daughter became depressed, stopped sleeping well, and had suicidal thoughts. The mother warned other parents: "Watch what your children are playing; they can be dangerous." DC Jodi Bartlett, who investigated the case, highlighted the terrifying realities of online targeting.
Audree Heinee's Suicide and True Crime Community
Horrifyingly, this is not an isolated incident. In December 2024, 13-year-old Audree Heinee died by suicide after falling into the dark world of online extremist groups, particularly the True Crime Community (TCC). According to her mother, Jaimee Seitz, Audree was an ordinary, happy teenager who loved to dance and draw, but she became involved with TCC members via Roblox before moving to Discord and TikTok.
Jaimee learned that TCC participants are encouraged to die by suicide or commit school shootings, a mentality she couldn't reconcile with her daughter. She is now suing Roblox, stating that Audree took her own life due to being groomed and pressured. This case underscores the platform's role in facilitating access to harmful communities.
Jesse Van Rootselaar's School Shooting
On February 11, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar committed one of the worst school shooting atrocities in Canadian history, killing eight people, including family members and students. It later emerged that Van Rootselaar had used Roblox to create a mass shooting simulator set in a virtual shopping mall, where users could pick up weapons and shoot at each other.
Roblox removed the user account and associated content, stating they use AI and safety specialists to review uploaded content. However, this incident highlights how the platform can be exploited for planning violent acts, with grieving parents now filing lawsuits against Roblox.
Jeffrey Epstein-Themed Content
Earlier this year, TMZ reported that a Roblox user created an in-game version of Little Saint James, Jeffrey Epstein's notorious island, featuring cabanas, a yacht, and a secret temple. The game description referenced Epstein and Donald Trump, with a lawsuit in August 2025 claiming Roblox had over 900 user profiles with variations of Epstein's name and hundreds of games themed around Sean "Diddy" Combs.
The lawsuit alleges that Roblox is aware of these experiences but allows them to exist unchecked, with catastrophic consequences for children.
Ethan Dallas's Grooming and Suicide
Ethan Dallas, a 15-year-old from California, died by suicide in April 2024 after being groomed by an adult predator on Roblox. According to a lawsuit filed by his mother, Becca Dallas, Ethan was targeted at age 12 by a predator pretending to be a child, with conversations escalating to sexual topics and explicit exchanges.
The predator persuaded Ethan to turn off parental controls and chat on Discord, demanding explicit photographs and videos under threat. Ethan complied out of fear, and the ordeal led to his suicide. The lawsuit accuses Roblox and Discord of wrongful death and negligent misrepresentation, arguing that stronger protections could have prevented the tragedy.
Becca Dallas shared with the Mirror: "Ethan’s case is just one of far too many, and what’s most heartbreaking is that it didn’t have to happen. Companies like Roblox have had the resources to prioritise children’s safety from the beginning - but instead, it feels like profit has come first."
Expert Commentary and Roblox's Response
A spokesperson from The Cyber Helpline told the Mirror that cases like these are not isolated, criticising platforms for placing the onus on parents and young people to enable safety settings. They called for platforms to become safer by design, with improved detection of grooming and harmful behaviours.
When approached for comment, a Roblox spokesperson stated: "We are deeply saddened to hear of this troubling case. Criminal behaviour has no place on Roblox." They highlighted that since January, Roblox has required age checks for communication, with policies prohibiting child exploitation and AI systems to detect grooming. However, they acknowledged that no system is perfect, emphasising ongoing efforts to strengthen protections.
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
