‘My daughter, 14, was groomed after meeting man on Roblox’
My Daughter, 14, Was Groomed After Meeting Man on Roblox
A parent recounted how her 14-year-old daughter was manipulated into sharing explicit photos with a man she met on Roblox, criticizing the platform for not doing enough to shield children from harm. Carlo Tritta, now 19, began contacting the teenager in September 2024 when he was 18, convincing her they were in a romantic relationship.
How the Grooming Began
The victim’s mother, based in Greater Manchester, described feeling “shocked, bewildered, and really angry” after discovering her daughter had been targeted by Tritta on Roblox. She noted that the initial interactions were innocent, with the teenager engaging in casual chats for months before the messages grew more troubling.
“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.’ 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.”
The Perpetrator’s Actions
Tritta, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, was sentenced to two years and four months in prison after admitting to creating child pornography, engaging in sexual conversations with the victim, and exposing her to explicit content. He also confessed to intimidating a witness and causing property damage. The mother revealed Tritta had access to her daughter’s social media accounts and knew her daily routines, including who she rode the bus with and her after-school activities.
Roblox’s Response
Roblox, which hosts over 40 million user-generated games, acknowledged the case in a statement. “We are committed to building safeguards designed to prevent such incidents,” said a spokesperson. “While cases of harm are rare among our 144 million daily active users, we know any incident is one too many.” The platform requires age verification for communication, aiming to limit interactions to peers and known contacts.
Breaking the Bail Conditions
Tritta was released on police bail with strict rules against contacting the victim or visiting her home. However, he violated these conditions, traveling 200 miles to her residence, breaking the doorbell camera, and entering without permission. During the visit, he discussed nightmares with the mother while she and her daughter were in the living room crafting Christmas cards and watching holiday programming.
“He was just at my kitchen door talking about nightmares while me and my daughter were just sat in the living room writing Christmas cards and watching Christmas TV.”
Impact on the Victim
The mother described how her daughter was left emotionally distressed, struggling with sleep and even considering suicide. “He had passwords for all her social media, so he controlled everything she was doing and who she spoke to online,” she explained. “She was trapped in something she didn’t think she could escape.” Tritta also sent her two cards, urging her to withdraw support from the prosecution and report her family to authorities.
Warning to Parents
She emphasized the need for greater parental oversight, stating, “It’s dangerous – it needs to be watched.” The mother argued that Roblox, as a platform for children, should prevent adults from using it to groom young users. “I think a lot of social media needs to do more to protect young children,” she added.
