Man jailed after grooming girl he met on Roblox
Man Jailed After Grooming Girl Met on Roblox
A 19-year-old man from Eastleigh, Hampshire, has received a 28-month prison sentence for sexually grooming a 14-year-old girl he met on the gaming platform Roblox. Carlo Tritta admitted to creating indecent images of a child, engaging in sexual communication with a minor, and compelling a teenager aged 13-15 to observe a sexual act. Additionally, he was found guilty of intimidating a witness and causing damage by traveling twice across 200 miles to the girl’s residence during his release on bail.
Case Unveiled by Family Concerns
The abuse came to light in August 2025 when the girl’s mother discovered a message on her daughter’s phone. Tritta and the victim first connected while playing a game on Roblox 11 months prior. Initially, the girl claimed to be 15, but she later revealed her true age as 14 in December 2024. Tritta, who was 18 when they met, shifted their conversations to messaging apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat, where he cultivated a relationship.
“The young girl in this case thought she was in a loving relationship but it was founded in coercion, control and abuse,” said Det Supt Rod Kenny of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. “The offender’s main driver was to obtain indecent images of her as a child. He used a number of methods to do that – flattery, gifts, rewards.”
Tritta’s actions included sending takeaway food and a private phone to the girl’s home. As their messages grew more intimate, he pressured her to share explicit content and later confronted her in person after breaking the doorbell camera. He also sent her two letters requesting she not support the prosecution and falsely accused her mother of having drugs in the house.
Impact on Victim and Family
The girl described feeling “trapped and upset” in court, adding she was “scared of going downstairs at night” due to Tritta’s presence. Her mother stated the family “no longer feels like a safe space” and that her daughter now undergoes therapy for anxiety and fear. Karina Lyon of the Crown Prosecution Service emphasized Tritta’s predatory behavior, noting his actions “caused fear and anxiety for the young victim and her family.”
During a police interview, Tritta acknowledged his knowledge of the girl’s age only after being under investigation. Judge Kieran Rankin remarked, “It was clear to you very early on that she was under 16. Your behaviour has had a significant negative effect on [the girl] and her family.”
Roblox’s Response to the Incident
A Roblox spokesperson expressed sorrow over the case, stating the platform had introduced new age checks in January to restrict communications between users of different ages. “Our policies firmly prohibit any kind of child exploitation, and we have extensive safety systems to prevent user-to-user image sharing and limit chats for younger users,” they said. “While no system is perfect, we continue to evolve and strengthen our protections every day.”
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