A 19-year-old man has been jailed for grooming a teenage girl through the popular gaming platform Roblox. Carlo Tritta repeatedly pressured the victim into sending explicit photos, leading to urgent warnings from the girl’s mother to parents across the country.
Chilling Abuse on Child’s Favourite Game
Tritta, who was 18 when he first contacted the 14-year-old victim online, initially engaged with her while playing Roblox, one of the world’s largest gaming platforms featuring 40 million user-created experiences. He later moved their conversations to WhatsApp and Snapchat, where he confessed love and coerced her into sexual acts.
Detective Superintendent Rod Kenny from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police stated: “The victim thought she was in a loving relationship, but it was founded in coercion, control and abuse.”
Defying Bail, Trespassing & Intimidation
Despite strict bail conditions prohibiting contact, Tritta travelled over 200 miles on two occasions to confront the girl at her home. He smashed her doorbell camera, entered the property without permission, sent threatening cards urging her to drop the case, and falsely reported her family to social services.
Judge Kieran Rankin told the court: “It was clear to you very early on she was under 16. Your behaviour has had a significant negative effect on the victim and her family.”
Family Left Living in Fear
The victim’s mother described the devastating impact: “My daughter has been in some kind of abusive, controlling, coercive relationship with somebody a lot older. I don’t feel safe in my own house – I’ve had to install cameras and change routines.” She urged parents to be vigilant: “Watch what your children are playing. These games aren’t as safe as you think. Paedophiles are grooming kids on platforms like Roblox.”
Roblox Responds to Abuse Case
A Roblox spokesperson said, “We are saddened to hear of this troubling case. With over 144 million daily users, cases of harm are rare, but any incident is one too many. We are committed to safeguards, including age checks, chat limits, and blocking personal info sharing.”
Justice Served
Carlo Tritta pleaded guilty to multiple offences, including making indecent images of a child, sexual communication, witness intimidation, and criminal damage. He was sentenced to two years and four months in prison, given a restraining order, and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
Originally published by UKNIP.
