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13-year-old boy sexually groomed via Roblox and Discord by alleged paedophile leading to criminal charges and family relocation

Jan 1, 2023New Jersey, United States1 source

Summary

A 13-year-old boy was groomed by an alleged paedophile, Sebastian Romero, on the Roblox gaming platform and Discord in 2023. The predator offered the child a $10 gift card for a shower video, a $25 gift card for a naked buttocks photo, and a $100 gift card for meeting in person for sex. After being banned from Discord, the predator moved to text and email, asking for the child’s address and threatening the family. The child’s parents discovered the messages and reported the case to the police. Sebastian Romero was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material and Aggravated Sexual Extortion. The child’s family sold their home and left the state due to safety concerns. Roblox and Discord are being sued for allegedly facilitating the abuse.

Incident Details

Domain
Child Safety

Harms involving the exploitation, abuse, or endangerment of minors, including CSAM and grooming.

Harm Types
CSAM

Child sexual abuse material — the creation, distribution, or possession of such content.

Grooming

Online contact by adults seeking to build trust with minors for exploitation.

Mechanism
contact
Severity
Minor involved
Platforms
Recipient
IndividualA 13-year-old boy from New Jersey
Dimensions
psychologicalautonomydiscriminatory

Sources

1

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