Florida just upped the ante against Roblox in a way that should terrify the company’s executives.
Attorney General James Uthmeier isn’t settling for civil penalties like other states.
And Florida AG just escalated his Roblox probe to a criminal investigation that could mean arrests.
Florida shifts from civil subpoena to criminal investigation
Roblox’s public relations cleanup and minor safety tweaks won’t cut it anymore.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday that his office has launched a criminal investigation into the gaming platform after determining the company was "operating in a careless way."¹
The escalation takes Florida’s scrutiny from a civil subpoena issued in April to a full criminal probe with the power to bring charges against company executives.²
Uthmeier’s civil investigation uncovered evidence showing inadequate age verification protocols and insufficient monitoring for sexual content involving children as young as eight and nine years old.³
The attorney general didn’t hold back on what investigators found: "In Florida, we’re going to stop at nothing to protect our kids. And that means holding businesses responsible. They’ve chosen profit over protecting children."⁴
https://twitter.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/1980272803992809937
Many investigations into predators across Florida lead directly back to Roblox, according to Uthmeier.⁵
Investigation exposes systematic platform failures that enable predators
The evidence Florida gathered during its civil inquiry paints a disturbing picture of how Roblox operates.
Predators use a deliberate pattern on the platform — they "pretend to be kids themselves" while engaging in long-term dialogue designed to solicit personal information, locations, imagery, and ultimately arrange in-person meetings that lead to physical abuse.⁶
Roblox’s weak safety architecture creates ideal hunting conditions for adults masquerading as children.
Think about this: 85 million people use Roblox every single day. More than 40% are kids under 13.⁷
And there’s no real age verification. Zero.
Want to sign up? Just type in a fake birthday.⁸ That’s it. No ID check, no parent permission, nothing stopping a 40-year-old predator from pretending to be a 12-year-old kid.
Here’s how the scam works. Predators spot vulnerable kids and offer them Robux — the platform’s virtual currency — in exchange for explicit photos or agreeing to meet up in person.⁹
Then they move the conversation to Discord or Snapchat where nobody’s watching at all.¹⁰
Roblox’s safety talk doesn’t match what’s actually happening
The company keeps saying it made over 100 safety improvements this year. They want parents to believe they’re building the "safest place on the internet."¹¹
Uthmeier rejected those assurances as hollow corporate messaging.
"Kids are still being solicited online, so they haven’t done enough," the attorney general stated bluntly.¹²
The data contradicts Roblox’s marketing spin.
Look at the numbers. Roblox reported 24,522 cases of child exploitation to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in 2024.¹³
That’s almost double the 13,316 cases from 2023.
And those are just the ones Roblox caught and actually reported. How many did they miss?
Florida joins a growing coalition of state attorneys general taking action against the platform.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed suit in August, accusing Roblox of creating an environment where "child sex predators thrive, unite, hunt and victimize kids."¹⁴
Kentucky’s Attorney General Russell Coleman filed suit in October.¹⁵
Oklahoma’s Attorney General Gentner Drummond started investigating in September.¹⁶
Criminal charges mean prison time, not just fines
Florida going criminal instead of civil changes everything for Roblox.
Civil lawsuits mean the company writes a check and promises to do better..
Criminal investigations can result in executives facing prison time.
Uthmeier made clear Florida prefers cooperation but won’t hesitate to prosecute if the company stonewalls.
"We look forward to working with them to the extent they’re willing. And if they’re not, we’ll see them in court or more," the attorney general warned.¹⁷
That "or more" should keep Roblox’s legal team up at night.
Criminal charges against a major tech company for facilitating child exploitation would establish legal precedent that Republican attorneys general nationwide are monitoring closely.
Louisiana’s Murrill went so far as suggesting Roblox "should be shut down" when announcing her lawsuit.¹⁸
If Florida succeeds with criminal prosecution, expect a coordinated wave of similar actions from conservative state attorneys general across the country looking to protect children from Big Tech platforms that prioritize engagement metrics over safety.
Uthmeier brought an aggressive America First enforcement approach to Florida’s attorney general office when Governor Ron DeSantis appointed him in February 2025.¹⁹
https://twitter.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/1980243330135941594
At 37, the former DeSantis chief of staff already launched high-profile investigations into Andrew and Tristan Tate over exploitation allegations and sued Target over woke policies that damaged Florida’s pension fund.²⁰
Taking on Big Tech companies that endanger children aligns perfectly with the Trump administration’s broader enforcement priorities targeting platforms that fail to protect minors.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has elevated child online safety to a key federal focus.
Roblox finds itself trapped in a coordinated federal and state enforcement campaign with no favorable exit path.
The company can implement aggressive safety measures and face user base backlash plus shareholder concerns about engagement metrics taking a hit.
Or it maintains the status quo and faces criminal prosecution in Florida with other states queuing up to follow suit.
Either option means the days of Roblox prioritizing growth over child protection are finished.
Parents believed Roblox when the company said their kids were safe.
They were lied to.
Florida’s investigation uncovered evidence showing this isn’t a few bad actors slipping through the cracks. This is systematic failure built into how the platform operates.
Uthmeier just put every tech company on notice. You let predators use your platform to hunt kids, you’re not just cutting a settlement check anymore.
You might be facing criminal charges..
¹ A.G. Gancarski, "Florida launches criminal probe into Roblox," Florida Politics, October 20, 2025.
² – ⁶ Ibid.
⁷ "Attorney General James Uthmeier Fights to Protect Children Online; Subpoenas Roblox for Child-Protection Policies and Procedures," Florida Office of the Attorney General, April 16, 2025.
⁸ "Child safety on Roblox," Wikipedia, updated October 20, 2025.
⁹ "The Growing Legal Storm: Roblox Faces Mounting Litigation Over Child Safety and Predatory Behavior," Attorney Javier Marcos & Associates, August 8, 2025.
¹⁰ Ibid.
¹¹ "’Harmful content:’ Florida Attorney General goes after Roblox over child predators," ClickOrlando, April 17, 2025.
¹² A.G. Gancarski, "Florida launches criminal probe into Roblox," Florida Politics, October 20, 2025.
¹³ "More on our Removal of Vigilantes From Roblox," Roblox Corporation, August 13, 2025.
¹⁴ "Louisiana sues Roblox alleging the popular gaming site fails to protect children," CNN, August 15, 2025.
¹⁵ "Kentucky attorney general suing popular gaming platform Roblox," WLKY, October 7, 2025.
¹⁶ "Drummond moves to hold Roblox accountable for child safety failure," Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, September 15, 2025.
¹⁷ A.G. Gancarski, "Florida launches criminal probe into Roblox," Florida Politics, October 20, 2025.
¹⁸ "State attorney general sues Roblox, alleging child exploitation and safety failures," WAFB, August 15, 2025.
¹⁹ "James Uthmeier," Wikipedia, updated October 2025.
²⁰ Ibid.
