In a shocking case that has raised alarm about online safety, a California family is suing Roblox and Discord after their 10-year-old daughter was groomed and kidnapped by a predator she met through these platforms.
What Happened?
In April 2025, a 10-year-old girl from Taft, California, was reported missing after not being seen since the previous night.
Authorities discovered she had been communicating with a 27-year-old man named Matthew Macatuno Naval through Roblox, a popular online gaming platform, and Discord, a messaging app.
Naval allegedly posed as a child to befriend the girl on Roblox, then moved their conversations to Discord, where he groomed her and convinced her to share her home address.
On April 13, 2025, Naval drove to her home, abducted her, and took her over 250 miles away to Elk Grove, California.
The girl’s father used a “Find My” app to locate her, and police found her in Naval’s car in a strip mall parking lot, in a state of distress, after Naval was denied a hotel room.
The kidnapping lasted less than a day, but the emotional toll on the child and her family has been profound. The girl is now back home with her family, but her lawyers state, “This child has suffered unimaginable harm. Her innocence has been snatched from her forever.”
What Is Roblox?
Roblox is an online gaming platform launched in 2006, where users, many of whom are children and teens, can create and play millions of user-generated games.
It boasts over 85 million daily active users, with 42% under 12 years old and 21% under 9, according to a 2023 Roblox report.
The platform is free to play, has no minimum age requirement, and is marketed as family-friendly, promising safety features to shield kids from harmful content.
However, the lawsuit claims Roblox’s design allows predators to exploit children due to lax safety measures.
Roblox can be dangerous for kids because it allows strangers to interact through chats and games, where predators may pose as children to gain trust.
Its large, open platform makes it hard to monitor all interactions, creating risks for inappropriate contact or grooming and persuading kids to meet up in person.
How Did This Happen?
The lawsuit, filed on August 5, 2025, in San Mateo Superior Court, alleges that Roblox and Discord failed to implement basic safety protocols, such as age and identity verification, making it easy for predators like Naval to target children.
The girl, an avid user of both platforms, relied on them for entertainment and social interaction, making her vulnerable.
Naval reportedly met her on Roblox’s “Mic Up,” a virtual hangout space, and continued grooming her on Discord, where he manipulated her into sharing personal information.
The lawsuit claims both companies prioritize user growth and profits over child safety, creating a “digital hunting ground” for predators.
When and Where Did This Happen?
The abduction occurred on April 13, 2025, when Naval took the girl from her home in Taft, Kern County, California.
She was found later that day in Elk Grove, over 250 miles away, after a multi-agency police search. The lawsuit was filed in San Mateo County, where Roblox is headquartered, and Discord is based in nearby San Francisco.
Who Was Involved?
- The Victim: A 10-year-old girl, referred to as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, represented by her father, John Doe. She was an active user of Roblox and Discord for years.
- The Abductor: Matthew Macatuno Naval, a 27-year-old man who allegedly posed as a child to gain the girl’s trust. Naval was arrested in Elk Grove and extradited to Kern County, where he faces multiple felony charges, including kidnapping and lewd acts with a minor. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody awaiting trial.
- The Companies: Roblox Corporation and Discord Inc. are named as defendants for their alleged negligence in platform design and failure to protect children.
- The Lawyers: The family is represented by Anapol Weiss, a Philadelphia-based law firm, with attorneys Alexandra Walsh and Kristen Gibbons Feden leading the case. This is the seventh lawsuit Anapol Weiss has filed against Roblox for similar issues.
The lawsuit argues that Roblox and Discord’s lack of robust safety measures allowed Naval to exploit the platforms’ features to groom and abduct the girl.
Despite knowing about predators on their platforms, the companies allegedly failed to act, prioritizing user numbers over safety. For example, Roblox’s minimal account verification relies on self-reported birthdates, and Discord’s age limit of 13 is not enforced with strict checks.
The lawsuit also points to explicit content on Roblox, like games referencing Jeffrey Epstein and Sean “Diddy” Combs, which normalizes harmful behavior.
The 10-year-old suffered significant emotional trauma from the ordeal. While she was rescued within hours, the experience has left lasting psychological harm.
She is now back with her family, but the lawsuit emphasizes the long-term impact, stating that her innocence was “snatched forever.” The family is seeking monetary damages for emotional distress and counseling costs, as well as systemic changes to prevent future incidents.
What Happened to the Abductor?
Matthew Naval was arrested on April 13, 2025, in Elk Grove, California, after police found the girl in his car.
He faces felony charges, including kidnapping and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Naval claimed the girl told him she was older and that he was helping her escape verbal abuse at home. He is currently in custody in Kern County, awaiting a grand jury hearing.
Why Is This Case Important?
This lawsuit is one of at least eight filed against Roblox and Discord in recent months, highlighting a pattern of alleged negligence.
Other cases include a July 2025 lawsuit involving an 11-year-old Florida girl groomed and assaulted after meeting a predator on Roblox, and a 13-year-old Iowa girl kidnapped in May 2025.
These cases highlight the growing concern over child safety on platforms marketed as safe for kids. Experts warn that predators exploit the lack of oversight, moving conversations from Roblox to less-regulated platforms like Discord.
How to Protect Children from Online and Video Game Predators
Parents must take proactive steps to keep kids safe online. Here are practical tips from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s Keeping Kids Safe Online toolkit:
- Monitor Devices: Regularly check your child’s phone, tablet, or gaming system. Remind them that you have the right to monitor devices you pay for.
- Explore Platforms: Create a parent account on Roblox or Discord to understand the platform and review your child’s chat history and “experiences.”
- Use Parental Controls: Set strict privacy settings on Roblox, such as limiting chat features for kids under 13. On Discord, disable direct messages from non-friends.
- Keep Communication On-Platform: Predators often move conversations to other apps to avoid detection. Encourage kids to keep all chats within the platform you can monitor.
- Teach Kids About Grooming: Explain that online “friends” may not be who they claim. Kids should only connect with people they know in real life and be able to share details like where they live or go to school.
- Report Suspicious Behavior: If you suspect grooming, preserve evidence (screenshots, usernames, chat logs), report it to the platform, and contact law enforcement.
For more resources, visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s toolkit at www.nsvrc.org/keeping-kids-safe-online.
What’s Next?
The lawsuit seeks to hold Roblox and Discord accountable for their alleged role in enabling child exploitation. Attorney Alexandra Walsh stated, “Roblox and Discord operate platforms that facilitate predators getting access to children.
This case is about holding them accountable for creating this dangerous environment for kids, all the while falsely assuring families their platforms are safe.” The case could push for stricter regulations, like mandatory age verification and better moderation, to protect kids online.
Roblox and Discord have responded by emphasizing their commitment to safety. Roblox told KRON4, “We dedicate substantial resources, including advanced technology and 24/7 human moderation, to help detect and prevent inappropriate content and behavior.”
Discord stated it uses “industry-leading technology” to remove violative content and works with law enforcement. However, critics argue these measures are insufficient.
Final Thoughts
This case is a wake-up call for parents and tech companies alike. Platforms like Roblox and Discord must prioritize child safety over profits, and parents must stay vigilant to protect their kids from online predators.
For more information on the lawsuit or to explore legal options, contact Anapol Weiss at www.anapolweiss.com
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