GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas – A federal lawsuit has been filed against the platforms Discord and Roblox on behalf of a Galveston County girl who was sexually assaulted by a man who groomed her using the platforms.
The lawsuit, filed by Anapol Weiss, comes after several similar lawsuits against the platforms in the cases of a 13-year-old New Jersey boy and a Florida girl.
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“In each case, the minor was first groomed on Roblox and later coerced into sharing explicit content through Discord, a progression that mirrors a pattern of predatory behavior playing out across these platforms,” Anapol Weiss said.
In the case of the Galveston County girl, the law firm says the abuse escalated to an in-person meeting at her home, where the predator sexually assaulted the girl and recorded it on his cell phone.
“This young girl has suffered unimaginable harm,” said Alexandra Walsh, shareholder at Anapol Weiss. “Her life has been horrifically altered, and it never should have happened. Roblox and Discord prioritized profits over safety.”
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The lawsuit alleges both Roblox and Discord knew of the dangers posed by their platforms and failed to implement the safety mechanisms necessary to prevent exploitation. Despite marketing themselves as child-friendly and safe, the companies allegedly prioritized user growth and engagement over meaningful protections.
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“Tragically, what happened to her is far from an isolated event,” said Anapol Weiss shareholder Kristen Feden. Anapol Weiss is currently investigating hundreds of similar cases involving minors who were targeted and abused through these online platforms.
“This lawsuit is a demand not only for justice, but for systemic change,” said Davis Cooper of Cooper Masterman. ”With this lawsuit, our goal is to safeguard children by holding Roblox and Discord responsible for the dangers they’ve created and compelling them to implement user safety as a core priority.”
Government authorities are also taking action. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office recently filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Discord, describing the platform as a “hunting ground for predators.” That legal action accuses Discord of knowingly allowing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to be exchanged on its servers and failing to take appropriate steps to remove it or report it in a timely manner. Simultaneously, the State of Florida has issued a subpoena against Roblox as part of its own investigation into platform safety and corporate accountability.
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“These interventions reflect a broadening consensus that the current regulatory environment is insufficient to protect children online—and that industry self-policing has failed,” said Walsh. “Swift action and oversight is needed to ensure that platforms popular among children are no longer havens for predatory behavior.”