Lawsuit Targets Roblox, Discord, and Uber Over Allegations of Grooming and Abuse
A lawsuit has been filed against Roblox, Discord, and Uber, claiming that a repeat offender used these platforms to groom a young woman when she was just 15. The complaint details how the man allegedly paid an Uber driver to transport her from Indiana to New Jersey, where she was then locked in a small, damp room and raped repeatedly.
The now 19-year-old plaintiff accuses Roblox and Discord of ignoring prior warnings about the kidnapper’s unlawful behavior and failing to adequately prevent him from accessing their apps.
Moreover, she alleges that Uber hasn’t sufficiently trained its drivers regarding the dangers of accepting ride requests from minors. This lawsuit was filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Roblox, Discord, and Uber have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Long before the assault, users on Roblox and Discord had raised alarms about a user named “DoctorRofatnik,” who posted numerous screenshots of sexual messages sent to minors.
One message described how “Dr. Lofatnik,” a creator of a popular Roblox game, told a 12-year-old girl, “It’s your fault I’m going to jail,” and claimed, “You’re 12 years old…soon I’ll corrupt you beyond your wildest dreams,” according to the complaint.
In January 2022, The Guardian reported extensively on “Dr. Lofatnik” and his predatory conduct, including sending inappropriate messages to underage girls. However, the lawsuit claims that Roblox and Discord failed to investigate properly, allowing users to evade bans by simply creating new accounts.
The teenage plaintiff reached out to Dr. Lofatnik, whose real name is Arnold Castillo, a 23-year-old from New Jersey, as a fan of his video game. Castillo invited her to join his Discord channel, and they eventually exchanged phone numbers, spending hours texting and talking.
During these conversations, Castillo attempted to convince her that the allegations against him were false, which she found compelling, especially since he continued to use both Roblox and Discord without issue.
Castillo also encouraged the girl to create artwork for his video game, showering her with gifts worth thousands—including DoorDash deliveries to her home and art supplies. Over time, their conversations turned sexual, discussing topics like oral sex and the plaintiff’s “hymen.” Castillo reportedly claimed, “All I have to do is make you a woman in the bedroom.”
Despite expressing her concerns about being too young, Castillo dismissed her worries, saying, “You’re not,” and that he’d “take her virginity,” as per the complaint.
In April and May 2022, Castillo used the Uber app to arrange off-platform rides, even offering $1,000 through CashApp to drive the girl over a ten-hour journey to New Jersey.
Once there, he confined her in a small, damp room next to his home, severely limiting her access to food and water. The complaint states that Castillo raped her multiple times and even tried to disguise her as a missing girl to procure “Plan B” pills and hair dye while her family searched for her.
Eventually, law enforcement tracked down the girl after linking her Instagram account’s new login information back to Castillo’s address, where they found him with three condoms. He was arrested and is currently serving a 15-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to transporting minors for sexual conduct.
“Dangerous predators were able to groom, traffic, and repeatedly abuse our young customers because these Big Tech companies refused to take necessary safety measures,” said Alexandra Walsh, an attorney involved in multiple lawsuits against Roblox. She emphasized that this lawsuit aims to hold these companies accountable and help prevent such abuses in the future.
The lawsuit further states that the plaintiffs have experienced “unimaginable harm,” including severe emotional trauma, adding that the defendant effectively took her virginity away forever.
This lawsuit is not the first against Roblox concerning child safety. Last September, another lawsuit was filed by the mother of a 15-year-old boy who took his own life, claiming the apps lacked proper safeguards, allowing predators to coerce her son into sending explicit photos.
Roblox remains a popular platform among children, with millions using it to play games and communicate. In 2024, it is projected to have around 82.9 million daily users, a significant portion of whom are between 5 and 16 years old.
To improve safety, Roblox has introduced child and teen accounts with parental controls to crack down on illegal activities, although critics question how effectively barriers can prevent adults from misrepresenting their ages on the platform. The lawsuit highlights that many users with predatory intentions openly use usernames that imply their target audience is underage.
