‘My daughter, 14, was groomed after meeting man on Roblox’
My daughter, 14, was groomed after meeting man on Roblox
A parent from Greater Manchester revealed that their 14-year-old daughter was manipulated into sharing explicit images with a man she met on Roblox. The individual, Carlo Tritta, 19, initially connected with the teenager in September 2024 when he was 18. The mother expressed deep concern after discovering the extent of the grooming, which began online and escalated into a personal relationship.
How the Abuse Unfolded
The victim’s mother described the moment she uncovered the troubling messages on her daughter’s phone. “She was crying and saying, ‘Please don’t look at my phone, please don’t look at my phone,'” she recalled. “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.” The discovery revealed a collection of sexual images and videos, some of which were particularly distressing.
“I was just shocked, bewildered, really angry,” the mother said. “Not with my daughter because I had to keep telling her, ‘I’m not angry with you,’ but I couldn’t speak. I don’t think your brain can take in what you’re seeing, and obviously that’s your child.”
Tritta, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, was sentenced to two years and four months in prison. He admitted to creating indecent images, engaging in sexual communications, and causing a child aged 13-15 to view sexual content. Additionally, he faced charges of intimidating a witness and causing damage. His actions led to a 200-mile journey from Hampshire to the victim’s home, where he broke the doorbell camera and entered without permission.
Roblox’s Response
A Roblox spokesperson stated, “With more than 144 million daily active users on Roblox, cases of harm are rare, but we know any incident of harm is one too many.” The platform requires age verification to limit interactions to users of similar ages. However, the mother argued that Roblox needs stronger measures to prevent adults from exploiting children on the site.
“It’s dangerous—it needs to be watched,” she said. “It’s a kids’ game and adults are getting on there to groom children. So they need to do something about it. It should just be for kids. Not for adults to go on to groom.”
The mother emphasized how Tritta controlled her daughter’s online activities, including her social media accounts and friendships. “He knew who she got the bus home with, he knew who her friends were. He knew what activities she did outside of school,” she explained. This level of oversight left the girl feeling trapped and even suicidal, struggling with sleep and emotional distress.
Tritta initially built a rapport with the victim through casual chats on Roblox. He later moved their conversations to private messaging apps, offering gifts and a secret phone. As the relationship deepened, the messages grew increasingly disturbing. The mother’s warnings now focus on raising awareness about the risks of online platforms like Roblox, urging parents to monitor their children’s digital interactions more closely.
