Roblox and Discord face lawsuit following teen's suicide

Rebecca Dallas has filed a lawsuit against Roblox and Discord following her 15-year-old son Ethan's suicide, claiming the platforms enabled his sexual exploitation. The case began when Ethan was 12 and encountered an adult predator on Roblox who posed as a child.

The predator gradually introduced sexual content into their conversations and convinced Ethan to disable parental controls before moving their communication to Discord. On Discord, the predator demanded explicit photographs and videos, using threats of exposure to coerce compliance. Ethan, feeling trapped and afraid, followed these demands until he tragically took his own life in April 2024.

The lawsuit argues that both platforms lack adequate age verification and user screening processes, making children vulnerable to exploitation. With Roblox serving 111 million daily users without age requirements and Discord similarly lacking strict identity verification, the suit claims these design choices facilitate predatory behavior.

This case represents one of nine similar lawsuits filed by the same law firm, highlighting a broader pattern of child exploitation on these platforms.