Roblox defends decision to ban “vigilante” predator hunters after Schlep ban

Roblox has issued a detailed statement defending its decision to ban “vigilante” accounts from the platform, days after predator-catching creator Schlep claimed he was unfairly removed.

The company said that while some of these users appeared well-intentioned, their actions “created an unsafe environment” and violated the Terms of Use.

According to Roblox, vigilantes often impersonated minors, approached other users, and tried to move conversations to other platforms to have explicit discussions. The company said this behavior mirrors that of the predators they claimed to target.

Roblox said this activity had accelerated across many accounts and normalised conduct that is prohibited on the platform, including simulating sexual conversations and directing users off-site.

The statement also outlined their internal reporting processes, which it says capture key metadata that emails or screenshots cannot. Roblox said this enables faster action and more thorough reports to law enforcement when warranted. In 2024, the company submitted 24,522 reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Roblox criticized vigilante groups for allegedly delaying reports until after staging real-life confrontations or producing social media content, warning that this can leave potential offenders active on the platform for longer.

Roblox also stated that it cannot act on off-platform evidence unless it can be independently verified or similar behavior is observed on Roblox, citing the risk of fabricated material being used to target users.

They encouraged players to use the in-game and profile-based reporting tools, as well as its Trusted Flagger program for recognised organisations, to report serious criminal activity.

Schlep responds and calls statement “outrageous”

Schlep, who has claimed that his work led to six arrests, said Roblox’s ban would prevent some offenders from facing real-world consequences.

Following their statement, he said, “Roblox has TRIPLED down in their latest newsroom post, outrageously comparing me to ACTUAL PREDATORS because my decoys tell adults that they’re children.”

He says the techniques he uses are no different from those used by agencies like the FBI and police departments.