Florida Launches Criminal Investigation Into Roblox Over Child Safety Concerns
- Sagar Mankar
- 12 hours ago
- 2 min read
Florida has escalated its scrutiny of Roblox, moving from civil action earlier this year to a full criminal investigation.
Attorney General James Uthmeier confirmed the decision during an appearance on Fox & Friends First, saying, “Our initial inquiry, as well as arrests and convictions across the state, have shown that Roblox is a breeding ground for child predators to get on the platform, solicit information, locations, and ultimately abuse kids.”
He added bluntly, “That’s a nonstarter here in Florida. We will go after child predators with everything we’ve got. And we’re going to hold Roblox accountable.”
From Civil Inquiry to Criminal Probe
Back in April, the Attorney General’s Office issued a subpoena to Roblox, requesting details on its marketing practices, age‑verification systems, and chat moderation. Uthmeier explained that the findings were troubling: “We immediately started gathering information, and what we found is evidence that they’ve been operating in a careless way. They know child predators are using the app to go after our kids, and they haven’t done enough about it.”
He went further, criticizing the platform’s safeguards: “They don’t have enough protocols in place for age verification. They’re not doing enough to monitor the content that’s being shared over the application, sexual content with 8‑ and 9‑year‑olds. And ultimately, they haven’t done enough to work with the state to ensure proper online protocols.”
How Predators Exploit the Platform
Uthmeier described how predators allegedly operate on Roblox: “They pretend to be kids themselves. They engage in long‑term dialogue, communicating with kids over the platform. They start to send and solicit imagery, sexual content. Ultimately, they schedule meetups, and in the worst of cases, we’ve seen actual physical abuse.”
He stressed that Florida would not tolerate this: “We’re going to stop at nothing to protect our kids, and that means holding businesses responsible that choose profit over protecting children.”
Roblox’s Response
Roblox has defended its safety record, pointing to more than 100 safety enhancements this year. The company said it has removed access to unrated content, expanded voice moderation into new languages, and eliminated “inappropriate legacy content.”
But Uthmeier was unswayed. “Kids are still being solicited online, so they haven’t done enough,” he said. “We look forward to working with them to the extent they’re willing. And if they’re not, we’ll see them in court or more.”
Florida isn’t the only state turning up the heat on Roblox. Earlier this month, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed a lawsuit accusing the platform of being a “playground for predators,” alleging that children were routinely exposed to violent or sexual content with few safeguards in place.
Similarly, Louisiana has also taken legal action, claiming Roblox “knowingly enabled and facilitated the systemic sexual exploitation and abuse of children”. Oklahoma AG Gentner Drummond also launched a formal investigation into Roblox for similar reasons.