Roblox Bans Guy Who Actually Caught Predators, Claims He's the Problem

In a statement to NBC Chicago, Roblox claimed Schlep was "taking the law into your hands" and engaging in behavior that "is not safe online."

This defense falls apart under scrutiny. The same platform that banned Schlep for catching predators routinely blocks harmless words like "Discord" and "YouTube" while allowing coded grooming language to persist for months. Former Roblox moderators, speaking on condition of anonymity, described an AI system that flags pizza orders but misses obvious predatory patterns.

Roblox Corporation did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

Schlep's Evidence-Based Response

Schlep countered Roblox's claims with specific documentation. In a video response, the 22-year-old content creator pointed to six confirmed arrests resulting from his investigations.

"When did I ever 'take the law' into my own hands? We work with law enforcement... we have 6 arrests of child predators. Why did you do nothing about felony child predator arrests we were sending you? What a joke," Schlep said.

Court records confirm at least three arrests in Texas and Louisiana linked to Schlep's investigations between January and July 2025. Each case involved suspects who allegedly used Roblox to contact minors. According to Schlep's legal team at SGGH Law, they provided evidence packages to Roblox for each suspect - including chat logs, user IDs, and police reports - but got completely ghosted.

Legal Challenges Mount

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed suit against Roblox on August 16, 2025, alleging the platform allows predators to "thrive, unite, hunt and victimize kids." The lawsuit cites 24 specific cases where Louisiana minors were allegedly targeted through the platform.

Separately, Chicago-based law firm Milberg represents approximately 500 families in claims against Roblox. The plaintiffs allege insufficient safety measures enabled predators to groom and, in some cases, kidnap their children.

The timing of Schlep's ban - coming amid these legal challenges - has drawn criticism from child safety advocates who question why Roblox would remove someone helping law enforcement identify threats.

Community Backlash Intensifies

Major Roblox content creators quickly distanced themselves from the platform's decision. KreekCraft, who has 4.2 million subscribers, posted: "I don't even know what to say at this point #FreeSchlep."

Petitions demanding Schlep's reinstatement and CEO David Baszucki's resignation have gathered over 215,000 signatures as of August 25. The #FreeSchlep hashtag has appeared in over 100,000 social media posts since the ban.

Some creators are questioning their continued partnership with Roblox. One creator, who requested anonymity to avoid getting banned like Schlep, told me they're "seriously reconsidering" their Star Creator Program participation because "supporting a platform that silences predator hunters feels fucking wrong."

The backlash resembles YouTube's 2017 "Adpocalypse," but with a crucial difference - instead of advertisers fleeing over content concerns, parents are questioning whether they can trust Roblox with their children. For a platform where 58% of users are under 17, parental trust is existential.

Roblox didn't ban Schlep because they give a shit about child safety. They banned him because their lawyers are terrified of liability.

Their cease-and-desist letter accused him of "engaging in simulated child endangerment conversations" - which is corporate speak for "you made us look bad by showing how broken our platform is."

How Roblox's Legal Team Thinks

Their lawyers looked at this situation and thought: "If someone gets hurt during a sting operation, we could get sued." So they decided to ban everyone doing stings instead of fixing their broken moderation system.

It's the classic corporate move - eliminate the people exposing the problem instead of fixing the problem.

Here's the kicker: Schlep's own lawyer says when Schlep's mother contacted Roblox for help after her son's suicide attempt (he was groomed on their platform as a kid), they basically told her to fuck off. Only when lawyers got involved did they suddenly care.

Roblox's "Safety" System Is a Joke

Roblox loves talking about their "robust Community Standards" and "comprehensive reporting tools" but can't explain what they actually do to catch predators.

Here's what their moderation system actually does:

• Bans kids for typing "Discord" or "YouTube"
• Blocks normal phrases like "I'm 13" as potentially dangerous
• Lets predators use coded language like "meet me in the game" for months
• Takes weeks to respond to reports, if at all
• Has zero proactive detection for grooming patterns

Schlep forwarded evidence to Roblox about 6 predators and they did absolutely nothing. Six arrests later, Roblox's response? Ban Schlep. Their "working with law enforcement" means sitting on evidence until someone else does their fucking job for them.

Why Investors Should Be Worried

Roblox stock is already getting hammered over this mess, and it's going to get worse. When parents start pulling their kids off a platform, that's game over for user growth.

This isn't like YouTube losing some advertiser money. This is parents realizing they can't trust Roblox with their kids. With 380 million monthly users and most under 17, losing parent trust is an existential threat.

Chris Hansen is making a documentary. Congressional hearings are coming. State AGs are filing lawsuits. This story has legs, and every new revelation makes Roblox look worse.

The smart money is already fleeing because they know what's coming - a reckoning that makes Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal look like a minor PR hiccup.

Chris Hansen, the veteran investigative journalist behind NBC's "To Catch a Predator," has announced plans for a documentary examining Roblox's child safety practices. The project will feature interviews with law enforcement, affected families, and content creators like Schlep who were banned while investigating predators.

"We're going to do our best to hold them accountable," Hansen told industry publication Variety.

Documentary Could Reshape Narrative

Hansen brings significant credibility to the story. His previous work led to over 280 arrests and prompted policy changes at major platforms. The documentary represents a shift from social media controversy to mainstream journalism investigation.

The project will examine Roblox's moderation practices, interview law enforcement officials familiar with platform-related cases, and document the experiences of families whose children were allegedly targeted. Hansen's team has reached out to Roblox for comment but has not yet received a response.

For Schlep, Hansen's involvement is huge validation. Where Roblox painted him as some rogue "vigilante," Hansen treats him like the law enforcement collaborator he actually was. Court records from Texas and Louisiana - I think it was 3 cases in Texas, maybe 4 in Louisiana? - support Schlep's claims of working directly with police departments.

Congressional Pressure Builds

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) created a petition calling for enhanced child safety measures across gaming platforms, which has attracted over 100,000 signatures. The petition specifically mentions Roblox and calls for "stronger protections for minors" and "accountability for platforms that fail to protect children."

Khanna's office confirmed they are monitoring the situation and "considering appropriate legislative responses." The congressman previously supported the Kids Online Safety Act, which stalled in committee but could gain momentum following high-profile incidents like the Schlep controversy.

Gaming industry analysts note that child safety controversies often precede regulatory action. YouTube faced congressional hearings after its 2017 content controversies, resulting in significant policy changes and FTC fines.

Documentary's Potential Impact

Hansen's previous investigations resulted in policy changes at multiple organizations. His 2019 documentary on Onision led to FBI investigations and platform bans. The Roblox project could have similar consequences.

The documentary will reportedly examine:

• Law enforcement cases linked to Roblox interactions
• Technical analysis of the platform's moderation systems
• Interviews with families affected by platform-related incidents
• Internal communications regarding safety reports

Industry experts note that Hansen's work often becomes part of the permanent record. Unlike social media controversies that fade, professionally produced documentaries appear in search results for years and influence public perception long-term.

Strategic Miscalculation

Legal experts are basically saying Roblox completely fucked this up. Rather than addressing the actual safety concerns, they focused on removing critics. This approach always backfires in high-profile controversies - did they learn nothing from Facebook's playbook?

"When you're facing legitimate safety questions, removing the people asking those questions looks defensive," said crisis management consultant Sarah Chen, who has advised tech companies through similar controversies.

The timing proved particularly poor. The Schlep ban occurred as Louisiana filed its lawsuit and other legal challenges mounted. This created a narrative of a company more concerned with silencing critics than protecting users.

The situation resembles other tech controversies where initial defensive responses amplified negative attention. Facebook's response to Cambridge Analytica criticism and YouTube's handling of advertiser concerns both escalated rather than contained the problems.