Roblox is facing intense criticism after reportedly threatening legal action against a YouTuber who set out to expose child predators on the platform. The backlash comes amid other ongoing controversies, including the “clone games pandemic” we covered recently.
The creator, known as Schlep, is a 22-year-old vigilante figure in the Roblox community. He and his team have helped identify and assist in the arrest of multiple predators, tackling an issue that has plagued the game for years. Instead of working with Schlep, Roblox has banned his accounts and issued a cease-and-desist notice.
Roblox bans creator for exposing predators
Schlep, a 22-year-old YouTuber, has made it his mission to catch predators operating on Roblox, a platform he has been part of since childhood and says he still loves despite its flaws. They have built a career around posing as underage players to expose adults seeking inappropriate contact with children.
Their sting operations have led to six arrests in under a year. While Schlep usually works with a small team, they have collaborated with larger creators like JiDeon. The group uses decoy accounts in Roblox before moving conversations to Discord, another platform with its own predator problem.
Schlep says every Roblox account he has owned since he was eight years old, including accounts used to speak with suspected predators actively, has now been terminated by Roblox. Evidence gathered is handed to law enforcement and used in videos to raise awareness. But in August 2025, Roblox permanently banned Schlep’s accounts and issued a cease-and-desist letter from their legal team. The letter accused Schlep of:
- “Engaging in simulated child endangerment conversations”
- “Sharing or soliciting personally identifiable information”
- “Directing users to move conversations off-platform”
Roblox acknowledged Schlep’s intent to protect children but argued that his methods undermined its safety protocols and put users at greater risk. Schlep countered by sharing an email from a victim who recognised their abuser in one of his videos and thanked him for helping get that person arrested.
Critics have called Roblox’s stance hypocritical, pointing to its history of inaction against predators and the CEO’s push to introduce 17+ online dating features to the platform. Schlep maintains that he avoids initiating sexual conversations, reports predators promptly, and has repeatedly tried to work with Roblox — but says he has never been told what the “proper channels” actually are. He adds that he has spent over a year trying to find out, even sending binders of chat logs directly to Roblox’s headquarters without ever receiving a clear answer.
A clash over ‘proper channels’
Schlep says Roblox has never clearly defined what its “proper channels” actually are, beyond the standard user report form and moderation tickets. According to Schlep, these reports are often ignored or left unresolved, even in cases where suspects have later been arrested.
They state that every user flagged in their investigations is reported to both Roblox and law enforcement before any videos are published, aiming to address as many concerns as possible. Yet examples remain of predators and individuals arrested for credible threats, including one user known as “Nepali Incel,” who allegedly made threats against the Las Vegas Sphere and was later arrested by the FBI, but still maintained an active Roblox account despite their threats being made on the platform.
Schlep says they have sent detailed evidence, including binders of chat logs, directly to Roblox’s headquarters, in the hope it would prompt action. They add that this is the first time Roblox has ever reached out personally, but instead of being to help prevent child predators on the platform, it was to terminate Schlep’s accounts and send a cease-and-desist letter.
#FreeSchlep sparks debate over Roblox’s safety priorities
#FreeSchlep began trending on social media after fans and fellow creators accused Roblox of punishing someone working to protect children rather than addressing the predator problem on the platform. Notable YouTubers, including MoistCr1TiKal and JiDeon, spoke out in support of Schlep, calling Roblox’s actions “backwards” and “hypocritical.” Even large Roblox creators like KreekCraft and others are discussing a mass exodus from Roblox’s Star Program, a program designed for top Roblox content creators.
Roblox is one of the largest gaming platforms in the world, with over 380 million monthly active users, many of whom are under 13. It consistently tops the most-played charts on both Xbox and PlayStation. Supporters of Schlep argue that Roblox should be collaborating with independent efforts like his instead of silencing them, warning that this approach only damages trust and allows existing problems to fester.
The controversy raises broader questions about whether a platform on Roblox’s scale can afford to dismiss independent actors who aim to protect children – and whether taking a stand against these actors ultimately does more harm than good for Roblox players.
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