Chris Hansen’s upcoming documentary Predators will investigate Roblox, the popular game-making tool accused of enabling the exploitation of underage users. The company is also being sued by the state of Louisiana.
On the heels of a report exposing Meta’s policy that allowed its chatbots to pursue children “romantically or sensually,” leading to an investigative probe by Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, as reported by SFist, San Mateo-based Roblox is facing both a lawsuit by the attorney general of Louisiana and a documentary investigation.
As FandomWire reports, former To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen announced he'll be pursuing the Roblox investigation through his online streaming network TruBlu after YouTuber Michael Schlep posted viral “predator-catching” videos, which led to six confirmed arrests and shed light on egregious negligence by the company.
It’s true! We are all over the Roblox story. https://t.co/6lrbo1CqdL pic.twitter.com/sMDTCCHEXT
— Chris Hansen (@chrishansen) August 15, 2025
As AV Club reports, Roblox has since begun retaliating against Schlep and other so-called vigilante users, banning and sending them cease and desist letters. The company also updated its Terms of Service to target vigilante groups. FandomWire notes that Schlep’s motivation for pursuing the case stems from his own experience as an underage victim of a prominent Roblox developer.
As the Washington Post reports, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Thursday that she filed a lawsuit against the company, saying its lack of safety protocols make it “the perfect place for pedophiles.”
According to the Washington Post, the lawsuit states that sexually explicit content, such as “Escape to Epstein Island,” “Diddy Party,” and “Public Bathroom Simulator Vibe,” is hosted alongside the many age-appropriate activities on the platform.
“Due to Roblox’s lack of safety protocols, it endangers the safety of the children of Louisiana. Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritizes user growth, revenue, and profits over child safety,” Murrill said in a statement. “Every parent should be aware of the clear and present danger posed to their children by Roblox so they can prevent the unthinkable from ever happening in their own home.”
Murrill’s statement says that a recent report exposed 3,334 members who “openly traded child pornography and solicited sexual acts from minors.” The statement also highlights a recent arrest in Livingston Parish, Louisiana involving a suspect who used voice-altering technology to make his voice sound like a young girl, allegedly to lure users off the platform.
The Washington Post adds that in May, a 28-year-old Maryland man pleaded guilty to producing child pornography after prosecutors say he coerced more than 100 underage girls on Roblox and other popular platforms into sending him sexually explicit content of themselves.
The Post writes that there have also been several other lawsuits filed against Roblox in recent months. A California father whose 10-year-old daughter was allegedly kidnapped by a 27-year-old man on the platform filed a suit last week, and the law firm Dolman Law Group has filed lawsuits on behalf of families in Texas, Michigan, Georgia, and California, alleging their children were sexually exploited while playing Roblox.
“It’s basically open season for sex predators on this app,” Attorney General Murrill said at a news conference on Thursday, as reported by outlet WBRZ. “At the end of the day, I think Roblox should be shut down.”
Additionally, Representative Ro Khanna (D-California) launched a petition pressuring Roblox to increase its safety protocols. “Roblox is at a crossroads,” the petition states. “We’re not going to stand by while kids are exploited online, and powerful tech companies can do more to stop it.”
Image: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Samsung
Previously: Meta’s Policy Allowing Bots to Engage in ‘Romantic or Sensual’ Talk With Kids Prompts Senate Investigation
