Girl, 8, targeted by child predator on Roblox, mom says

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT/Gray News) – Roblox is a popular game among the younger generation, but many people have had problems with their children running into inappropriate content while using the app.

According to WECT, an 8-year-old girl in North Carolina was targeted by an online predator.

They asked for the girl’s phone number over the chat feature on Roblox, and the conversation got worse over text messaging.

The girl’s mother said she has parental controls on all the electronic devices her kids use, but it was a shock when she discovered the messages on her daughter’s phone.

“He kept asking her for hot videos, and I mean, she would send just like an innocent picture of herself or like an innocent video,” said Kaitlin Clarke, the girl’s mother. “But you could tell, like, he kept saying more, that wasn’t what he was looking for.”

Clarke said she hadn’t planned to get her daughter a cell phone at such a young age but decided to in an effort to keep her safe if she was in a scary situation.

“With the way everything in the world is these days, it’s like she needs a way to contact me or her dad or somebody if something happens,” Clarke said.

Experts with the FBI Charlotte Division said that it comes down to being aware of what your child is doing at all times.

Authorities advise putting strict privacy settings on their phones and tablets in addition to disabling any chat features on apps like Roblox.

“Inappropriate photos are not taken in the living room. They’re not taken in the bonus room,” said FBI Charlotte Division Public Affairs Specialist Shelley Lynch. “They’re taken in a child’s bedroom, or in the bathroom. Children really have to understand that they don’t know who they’re really talking to online.”

Experts recommend speaking with your child about the dangers of online predators so they are aware and can alert you if a problem arises online.

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