Roblox is under renewed fire after CEO David Baszucki described the child predator crisis on the gaming platform as an “opportunity” during a recent New York Times podcast, comments that landed amid intensifying scrutiny over the company’s decision to ban a YouTuber known as Schlep, who had gained a following for exposing child predators on Roblox and providing his evidence to authorities.
The backlash intensified after the New York Times’s Hard Fork podcast aired comments from Roblox CEO David Baszucki, who characterized the child predator problem not only as a “problem” but also an “opportunity.”
Full clip here: pic.twitter.com/YqlfftRKAY
— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) November 24, 2025
When asked directly about predators on Roblox, Baszucki said, “We think of it not necessarily just as a problem but an opportunity as well. How do we allow young people to build, communicate, and hang out together? How do we build the future of communication at the same time?”
His remarks sparked immediate outrage, including from Schlep himself, the very gamer whose investigations led to multiple predator arrests.
“He could’ve phrased this in so many better ways,” Schlep wrote on X. “Saying it like this feels incredibly insensitive when there are children who lost their lives because of Roblox predators.”
He could’ve phrased this in so many better ways. Saying it like this feels incredibly insensitive when there are children who lost their lives because of Roblox predators. https://t.co/3HKgGU9q41
— Schlep (@RealSchlep) November 24, 2025
On WMAL Radio in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, hosts interviewed Schlep, along with his attorney Steven Vanderporten. During the interview, Schlep explained how he personally identified predators targeting minors on Roblox and compiled detailed evidence.
“I would find and catch child predators on the app Roblox,” he said. “It resulted in six arrests. Some of these cases are going to be going into trial next year. One of them has already resulted in a conviction.”
He said Roblox’s reaction was not cooperation but retaliation.
“Their first instinctual reaction was to send me a legal cease and desist, threatening me for computer fraud,” he said.
Schlep added that he repeatedly begged Roblox for a direct line to report predators, but “they would actually ignore us on multiple occasions.”
Vanderporten noted that Schlep had spent years trying to clean up the platform: “He was heavily invested into trying to clean up the platform, find and identify and report both to Roblox and to authorities, individuals who were misusing the platform, who were using it to try to lure children.”
Radio host Hans von Spakovsky asked whether state or federal law enforcement might investigate Roblox. Vanderporten said five states — Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Kentucky — have active investigations, with Florida’s attorney general upgrading its investigation from civil to criminal after reviewing subpoenaed material.
Internal support and calls for oversight
Co-host Andrew Langer noted reports of “Free Schlep” posters appearing at Roblox headquarters.
Someone was putting up #FreeSchlep posters at Roblox HQ pic.twitter.com/UJH6L8i4QM
— Schlep (@RealSchlep) November 24, 2025
Schlep confirmed the support, saying, “There’s been an incredible amount of support online from all across the internet.”
He said he has been speaking to lawmakers: “I’d very much love to see any form of investigation go on.”
Roblox touts new facial age-verification system
On Nov. 18, Roblox announced in a press release and during a New York Times podcast interview its plans to require facial age verification for chat access, a first-in-industry move aimed at separating minors from adults to reduce grooming risks.
The company insisted it is committed to children’s safety, saying, “Protecting children is a top priority.”
National crackdown on online child exploitation networks intensifies
Federal law enforcement has dramatically escalated its fight against online predators nationwide.
Last week, the FBI revealed major progress targeting the notorious “764” child-exploitation network, which operates across multiple online platforms frequented by minors.
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FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino warned in a post on X that “the 764 Network is a heinous child-exploitation ring that often targets children online and coerces them into acts of violence, self-harm, animal abuse, suicide, and sexual abuse.”
He said the FBI now has more than 300 active investigations into the network: “At the beginning of the year, our teams redoubled efforts to go after these networks and eliminate them. … It is a top priority for us.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Roblox for comment.
