Kentucky Attorney General sues Roblox, alleges platform enables child predators

FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Kentucky’s Attorney General is bringing a popular online gaming platform to court, calling it the ‘website of choice for child predators.’

“Here is my message to parents. Get your kids off Roblox. Do it today,” Attorney General Russell Coleman said Tuesday.

It’s an online game that’s been around since 2006, accessible to play on most computers and game consoles, with an estimated 380 million monthly users. Roblox’s model is built on user-generated content, and Coleman argued the company is not doing its part to keep that content kid-friendly.

“Underneath this cartoonish, innocent venue is something sinister. The platform has become a playground for predators,” he said.

Coleman’s suit, filed Tuesday, alleges Roblox has violated Kentucky’s Consumer Protection Act, arguing that the platform is doing little to moderate its content and verify the age of users. Coleman shared that his own son made an account without his knowledge when he was 10.

“This hits home for many of us; this threat is present in many of our homes. Once they’re on the platform, there is very little to stop kids from messaging predators who are looking for their next victim,” he said.

Coleman’s 68-page complaint lays out examples in detail, like message threads soliciting child sexual abuse material, or user-created simulations of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and adult-only scenarios.

“This complaint offers exemplars of six-year-olds, six-year-olds, playing the game, walking into rooms filled with cartoon characters having sex,” Coleman said.

In a statement, a Roblox spokesperson told FOX 56, “no system is perfect,” but said the company is constantly innovating their safety systems using both AI and thousands of moderators.

“This lawsuit was not based on an in-depth investigation, but instead is based on sensationalized, outdated, and out-of-context information. We believe that plaintiff’s attorneys have misrepresented matters to seek financial gain and that states may be a victim of this misinformation,” the spokesperson said, and added that the company would welcome a direct conversation with the AG’s office.

Kentucky is now the second state to sue the platform following Louisiana earlier this year, and Coleman said more states are likely soon to follow.