Man jailed after grooming girl he met on Roblox

Man Jailed for Grooming 14-Year-Old Girl Met on Roblox

Carlo Tritta, now 19, has received a 28-month prison sentence after admitting to grooming a 14-year-old girl he encountered on the online gaming platform Roblox. The teenager, from Greater Manchester, initially claimed to be 15 years old before revealing her actual age in December 2024. Tritta, based in Eastleigh, Hampshire, used messages to build a relationship with her, eventually encouraging her to share sexually explicit images and participate in intimate conversations.

“The young girl believed she was in a loving relationship, but it was built on coercion, control, and abuse,” stated Det Supt Rod Kenny from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. “His main goal was to obtain indecent images of her as a child. He employed flattery, gifts, and rewards to achieve this.”

Tritta’s actions led to his arrest, followed by release on police bail with conditions prohibiting contact with the girl or visits to her home. Despite these restrictions, he twice traveled over 200 miles (322km) from Hampshire to her residence, damaged the doorbell camera, and entered her home to press her for dropping the case. He also sent her two cards requesting her not to support the prosecution and falsely accused her mother of having drugs in the house.

During a police interview, Tritta was asked if he understood his actions were illegal due to the girl’s age. He responded that he became aware of this after being under investigation. In court, the girl described feeling “trapped and upset,” expressing fear of going downstairs at night because she believed Tritta might be waiting for her. Her mother added that the family had “been constantly on edge,” with their home no longer feeling like a safe place. She noted her daughter now undergoes therapy due to the stress caused by the ordeal.

Karina Lyon of the Crown Prosecution Service highlighted Tritta’s predatory behavior, stating: “His actions, driven by sexual gratification, have caused fear and anxiety for the victim and her family. He also violated court orders by visiting her address, damaging property, and attempting to influence witnesses.”

Roblox, which hosts around 40 million user-created games and experiences, expressed sorrow over the incident. A spokesperson noted the platform introduced new age checks in January to “limit communications to people of similar ages and those the user already knows.” They emphasized that their policies “firmly prohibit child exploitation” and that safety measures are in place to monitor image sharing and chat interactions for younger users. The statement concluded: “While no system is perfect, we continue to improve and strengthen protections daily.”