Man jailed after grooming girl he met on Roblox
Man jailed after grooming girl he met on Roblox
Grooming and Charges
A 19-year-old man was sentenced to 28 months in prison after sexually grooming a 14-year-old girl he connected with on the Roblox gaming platform. Carlo Tritta, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, admitted to creating indecent images of a child, engaging in sexual communication with a minor, and compelling a girl aged 13-15 to observe a sexual act. He also faced two charges of intimidating a witness and damaging property after violating court orders by traveling 200 miles (322km) to her home twice.
Det Supt Rod Kenny of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary highlighted that the victim, based in Greater Manchester, “believed she was in a loving relationship, yet it was built on coercion, control, and abuse.” Tritta’s behavior began 11 months prior when they first met while playing a game on Roblox, later shifting their interaction to messaging apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat. During this time, he showered her with gifts and claimed affection to manipulate her trust.
“The young girl in this case thought she was in a loving relationship but it was founded in coercion, control and abuse.”
“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 abuse was uncovered in August 2025 when the girl’s mother discovered a message on her daughter’s phone. The victim initially told Tritta she was 15, but later confirmed her actual age as 14 in December 2024. Despite being released on police bail with strict conditions, he disregarded them by visiting her home and damaging the doorbell camera to confront her. He also sent two cards requesting her to withhold support from the prosecution and falsely accused her mother of having drugs in the house.
Impact on Victim and Family
In court, the girl described feeling “trapped and upset,” and expressed fear of going downstairs at night because she believed Tritta would be waiting. Her mother testified that the family “were constantly on edge” and that their home no longer felt like a safe space. The mother added that her daughter now experiences fear and anxiety, requiring therapy to cope with the stress.
Prosecution Statement
Karina Lyon of the Crown Prosecution Service stated that Tritta exploited the young teenager for his own sexual gratification. “His actions have caused fear and anxiety for the victim and her family,” she noted. “Tritta is not just a sexual predator; he also breached court orders, damaged property, and attempted to interfere with witnesses.”
Roblox’s Role and Response
A Roblox spokesperson expressed sorrow over the case, noting the platform had introduced new age checks in January to “limit communications to users of similar ages and those they already know.” They emphasized that policies strictly prohibit child exploitation and feature safety systems to prevent image sharing and restrict chats for younger users. The team collaborates with law enforcement to aid investigations, though they acknowledged that “no system is perfect.”
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