New Sexual Assault Lawsuit Filed Against Roblox, Uber and Discord
May 19, 2026
A new complaint alleging sexual exploitation and assault was filed on April 24, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against online gaming company Roblox Corporation, online messaging platform Discord Inc. and rideshare provider Uber Technologies, Inc. The plaintiff, known only as Jane Doe, was 15 years old at the time, and accuses the defendants of sexual assault and abuse after she was groomed and ultimately raped after being kidnapped and transported in an Uber vehicle across several states. The plaintiff alleges that her assailant was well known on the Roblox and Discord platforms, having been reported by a number of the platforms’ users; however, despite that knowledge, the predator was not banned by either of the platforms or prevented access.
The plaintiff Doe claims that Roblox failed to implement any safeguards preventing predatory behavior on its platform; she also alleges that Discord enabled her attacker to engage in grooming behavior using private communications available on the platform. The predator is currently in federal prison after pleading guilty to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to the complaint:
“(The) sexual abuse of Plaintiff was the direct result of Defendants’ conduct. Roblox and Discord failed to conduct adequate investigations into (the predator’s) grooming and sexual exploitation of underage minors on both platforms, despite actual and constructive notice of such abuse long before Plaintiff was abused. Roblox and Discord unreasonably delayed taking action, ignored public and internal signals that readily identified (him).”
The complaint also claims that the attack was facilitated by Uber, who allowed the predator to arrange an “off-platform ride” from the plaintiff’s home in Indiana to his home in New Jersey. Ms. Doe alleges that her kidnapping was caused in part by “Uber’s failure to supervise and train its drivers of the risks of off-app transportation of minors, and its failure to report suspicious communications to law enforcement, directly enabled (the) successful abduction and trafficking of Plaintiff.”
Discord maintains that it is “committed to user safety” and uses advanced technology and trained safety teams to ensure the safety of its users.
April 2, 2026
Court Appoints Additional Lead Counsel for Roblox MDL
On January 30, 2026, U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg for the Northern District of California appointed several attorneys to leadership positions in the Roblox MDL (MDL 3166). The multidistrict litigation, centered on claims that the popular online gaming platform failed to protect children who were ultimately groomed and victimized by online sexual predators currently has 146 cases and is growing.
The following counsel were appointed to serve as Plaintiffs’ Co-Lead Counsel:
- Alexandra Walsh (Anapol Weiss)
- Sarah London (Girard Sharp LLP)
- Bryan Aylstock (Aylstock Witkin Kreis & Overholtz)
In an order filed by the court on February 17, 2026, the following attorneys were appointed:
- Devin Bolton (Weitz & Luxenberg) – Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee
- David Buchanan (Seeger Weiss) – Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee
- Martin Gould (Gould Grieco & Hensley) – Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee
- Melissa Hague (The Joel Bieber Frm) – Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee
- Ty Hudson (Wagstaff and Cartmell LLP) – Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee
- Joe Masterman (Cooper Masterman) – Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee
- Kelly McNabb (Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP- Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee
- Andre Mura (Gibbs Mura) – Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee
- Matt Schultz (Levin Papantonio) – Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee
- Michael A. Baudinet (Dolman Law Group) – Executive Committee Development Counsel
- Tevenia Jacobs (Ciresi Conlin LLP) – Executive Committee Development Counsel
- Casondra Turner (Milberg PLLC) – Executive Committee Development Counsel
- Madeline Pendley (Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa) – Executive Committee Development Counsel
- Robert Siko (Andrews & Higgins) – Executive Committee Development Counsel
- Kiley Grombacher (Bradley/Grombacher LLP) – Federal/State Liaison Counsel
January 22, 2026
MDL 3166 – Roblox Litigation Update
In December, 2025, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) granted the petition for the consolidation of 85 lawsuits filed against Roblox Corporation, creating MDL 3166 – In re: Roblox Corporation Child Sexual Exploitation and Assault Litigation. The case will be overseen by Chief Judge Richard Seeborg and venued in the Northern District of California.
The company is accused of facilitating child sexual abuse and exploitation by failing to employ any safety measures to protect its younger users and emphasizing profits over their wellbeing. In response to the accusations, Roblox claims it has prioritized safety by developing AI-enabled age verification, applied chat restrictions for users under 13 and added a number of additional precautions.
Roblox is a huge online platform and game creation system where users can create their own games and connect with others. Games are free but the company offers in-game purchases using Robux, Roblox’s virtual currency.
The plaintiffs are alleging that the company ignored both the presence of predators on its platform and the creation of unsafe games. By encouraging the use of Robux, the company employed deceptive monetization practices that resulted in children being groomed and exploited as well as being exposed to explicit or inappropriate content.
In the wake of the MDL’s creation, a number of plaintiffs’ attorneys are applying for leadership appointments, including Mark Lanier (The Lanier Law Firm), Bryan Aylstock (Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis and Overholtz), Sarah London (Girard Sharp), Alexandra Walsh (Anapol Weiss) and Bob Hilliard (Hilliard Law). Three of the firms stated that they will share a coordinated vision of how to develop a unified legal strategy and guide the litigation. Leadership applications are due on January 30.
In addition to the cases in the MDL, the attorneys general of Louisiana, Kentucky, Florida, Iowa, Tennessee and Texas have also sued Roblox seeking stricter safety measures, restitution and a criminal investigation into the platform itself.
An initial status conference is scheduled for January 30, 2026.
A Growing National MDL: 2024–2025
Roblox Corporation now faces one of the most consequential digital-safety litigations in the country. Dozens of families have filed lawsuits alleging that the platform’s design and moderation failures enabled child grooming and sexual exploitation. Most recently, the state of Texas has sued Roblox in state court, alleging that the company has deceived parents with regard to the safety of the gaming platform, and furthermore has allowed children to enter into an “unregulated universe” that is shared by predators. Similar suits have been filed by Kentucky and Louisiana who also claim that the California company is not doing enough to protect minors.
Roblox Litigation: What the Lawsuits Allege—and What’s at Stake
Families across the U.S. are suing Roblox Corporation, an online platform and game creation system that allows users to design, share, and play immersive 3D experiences created by a global community of developers. They are alleging that the platform allowed child grooming, sexual exploitation, and exposure to explicit content. Plaintiffs say Roblox failed to implement basic safeguards, profited from risky design choices, and misled parents about safety. The litigation is coalescing into a proposed federal MDL (multidistrict litigation), which would centralize pretrial proceedings while preserving each survivor’s individual claim.
Roblox markets itself as a safe, creative space for kids. Plaintiffs allege the company knew of serious, persistent dangers—including grooming, sexual exploitation, illegal gambling, financial manipulation, and explicit content—and failed to act despite having the resources and tools to do so.
Madeline Pendley, a Florida-based national mass tort attorney with Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa, said in an interview with The Florida Record:
Pendley explained that courts are increasingly viewing digital platforms as potentially defective products, evaluating whether their design and moderation systems contribute to user harm. Roblox litigation joins a growing wave of lawsuits targeting online environments that expose minors to exploitation, addiction, or unsafe content.
She noted that establishing liability could reshape the legal landscape, pushing developers to strengthen safety systems and prompting regulators to craft clearer standards for online accountability.
Pendley emphasized that this case is about both justice and prevention, arguing that Roblox prioritized profit over protection.
How the Alleged Harms Happen
- Entry via chat & avatars: Predators pose as children using childlike avatars and initiate contact through in-game chat/DMs.
- Trust & leverage: They build rapport with compliments or Robux gifts (a virtual in-game currency that can be purchased with real-world money), then escalate to sexual content or coercion.
- Off-platform migration: Conversations move to Discord/Snapchat/Facebook, where monitoring is weaker and abuse escalates.
- Exposure to explicit games: User-generated experiences allegedly hide sexual content behind innocent titles.
- Moderation gaps: Reports and flags are described as slow to respond or inconsistently enforced.
Beyond compensation for victims, the litigation seeks systemic changes to online child safety, requiring meaningful verification, default protections, faster and more effective moderation, and real guardrails against off-platform migration.
Legal Theories in Play
- Negligence: Failure to prevent foreseeable harm.
- Product liability/design defect: Platform features allegedly functioned as unsafe and enabled abuse.
- Consumer fraud: Parents were misled by safety marketing versus real-world safeguards.
- Intentional infliction of emotional distress: Allowing traumatic events to occur under Roblox’s watch.
Five Recurrent Safety Failures Alleged
- Unmoderated/insufficiently moderated chat that enables initial contact and grooming.
- Sexually explicit user-generated content that persists despite rules/filters.
- Ineffective age verification (easily bypassed self-reported DOBs).
- Delayed moderation response even after multiple flags on accounts/games.
- Facilitation of off-platform contact (Discord/Snapchat), where risk spikes.
As of September 2025, plaintiffs have asked the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to consolidate more than 30 related federal cases before a single judge in the Northern District of California—where Roblox, Discord, and Meta are headquartered.
Key Litigation Milestones
| Date | Event | Summary |
| May 2025 | First Federal Filings | Initial lawsuits filed in Florida and Alabama allege Roblox enabled sexual exploitation through unmoderated chat and off-platform migration. |
| June 2025 | State Investigations Begin | Florida Attorney General opens investigation into Roblox’s child-safety practices. |
| July–August 2025 | Wave of Multi-State Lawsuits | New suits in Alabama, North Carolina, California, and Michigan expand claims of design negligence, product liability, and deceptive marketing. |
| September 2025 | MDL Motion Filed | Plaintiffs seek coordination of 31 cases across 12 districts under a single federal MDL in California. |
| Late 2025 (anticipated) | JPML Decision on Centralization | Judicial Panel to determine venue and assign a transferee judge to oversee pre-trial proceedings. |
| 2026 (anticipated) | Discovery & Early Case Management | Expected focus on platform design, moderation data, AI systems, and feasibility of earlier safety measures. |
What This Means for Law Firms
The anticipated Roblox MDL will require significant coordination across plaintiffs’ counsel. Each plaintiff maintains an individual claim and damages story—necessitating efficient claim intake, evidence tracking, and claimant communication.
Verus can help law firms manage Roblox-related litigation with precision and care. From secure claimant intake and parental verification to defensible data validation and confidential evidence handling, our systems streamline case management while protecting sensitive information and providing real-time dashboards for reporting and oversight.
