Roblox Retaliates Against Child Abuse Survivor Who Exposed Platform’s Predator Problem
Content Creator’s Viral Videos Led to Six Arrests Before Company Silenced Him with Legal Threats
DALLAS, TEXAS – A childhood survivor of grooming on Roblox is now facing corporate retaliation after his viral predator-catching videos led to multiple arrests and exposed systematic failures in the platform’s child protection systems.
Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC (GGH) and Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC have been retained to defend YouTuber Michael “Schlep”, a 22-year-old Texas content creator who was banned from Roblox and served with cease-and-desist letters after his investigative work resulted in six confirmed arrests of alleged child predators operating on the gaming platform.
The legal action against Schlep comes as his removal has sparked the viral #FreeSchlep movement, garnering millions of views and prompting a major Roblox influencer to quit the company’s creator program in protest. Crime journalist Chris Hansen has contacted Schlep about participating in an upcoming documentary investigating Roblox’s handling of child safety issues.
A Survivor’s Mission Becomes Legal Target
Schlep’s anti-predator work stems from his own traumatic experience as a Roblox user. Between ages 12 and 15, he was groomed by a prominent Roblox developer who had official company merchandise distributed nationwide and contracted directly with Roblox for platform events.
The developer sent Schlep graphic violent content, pornography, and engaged in inappropriate sexual conversations.
“When my client attempted suicide and was hospitalized, his mother contacted Roblox seeking help,” said Martin D. Gould, Founding Partner at GGH. “Roblox was unresponsive until she threatened legal action. Only then did they engage – and only to claim the abuse happened ‘on another platform,’ despite the predator being a contracted Roblox developer who the company promoted at events.”
The developer who groomed Schlep was eventually banned from Roblox – but only years later, after another female developer reported sexual abuse. Roblox had continued paying and promoting the predator throughout Schlep’s ordeal.
Proven Results Trigger Corporate Backlash
Working with established predator-catching organizations including Predator Poachers (300+ convictions) and EDP Watch, Schlep’s team achieved a remarkable success rate: six arrests from seven real-life confrontations with suspected predators initially contacted through Roblox.
Rather than addressing the safety vulnerabilities Schlep exposed, Roblox updated its Terms of Service to specifically target “vigilante groups” and banned him from the platform. The company then escalated with legal threats under the Computer Fraud Act – the same statute used in Roblox’s shameful lawsuit against another prominent critic, Ruben Sim, who has also recently retained the GGH and Milberg law firms.
“Instead of thanking someone who was protecting children and working with law enforcement, Roblox is trying to silence him with the same legal intimidation tactics they’ve used before,” said GGH Partner Steven Vanderporten. “This pattern suggests a company more concerned with suppressing criticism than addressing the predator problem on their platform.”
Growing Accountability Movement
The #FreeSchlep campaign has exposed broader frustrations with Roblox’s child safety record, with supporters noting the irony of the company punishing someone for doing the protective work they claim to prioritize.
“Michael is doing exactly what Roblox should be doing – identifying and stopping predators who target children,” said Milberg Co-Counsel Gary Klinger and Melinda Maxson. “Instead of partnering with him, they’re trying to destroy him. That tells you everything about their real priorities.”
National Media Attention Mounting
The case has attracted attention from major media outlets and child safety advocates, with several national interviews scheduled this week. The controversy has also prompted at least one major Roblox content creator to publicly quit the company’s influencer program in solidarity with Schlep.
Roblox Corporation declined to comment on the specific allegations or explain why the company chose legal action over addressing the safety concerns raised by Schlep’s investigations.
GGH specializes in high-profile litigation against major corporations, while Milberg is a leading class action and whistleblower protection firm with extensive experience in cases involving corporate accountability and consumer protection.
Roblox whistleblowers Schlep and Sim are represented by Martin D. Gould, Michael R. Grieco, and Steven L. Vanderporten of Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC, Gary Klinger, Melissa Nafash, and Melinda Maxson of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC.