Warning Parents Subreddit: Where you can find alarming dangers on discord & reddit

In today’s digital world, online gaming platforms like Roblox and communication tools like Discord are widely used by children. While these platforms can offer fun and interactive experiences, they also come with serious risks related to child safety. The subreddit r/WarningParents has emerged as a resource for parents.

Edwin Dorsey has been documenting cases of abuse on Roblox. His research uncovered a trend of predatory behavior affecting countless children. He has collected over 30 documented incidents of abuse tied to Roblox.

One striking case involved 29-year-old Owain Thomas, who manipulated 150 children for sexual activities through Roblox. Alarmingly, 60 of these young victims were under 13 years old. Thomas used Roblox's in-game currency, Robux, to lure kids, even going so far as to pay a 10-year-old victim for a sexual act while he watched via webcam. A lawyer described the scale of this abuse as “possibly unprecedented."

In September 2020, a registered sex offender, Clinton McElroy, was arrested after convincing an eight-year-old girl to send sexually explicit videos in exchange for Robux.

In another serious situation in February 2021, Jose D. Melena kidnapped a child he had been communicating with through Roblox.

The dangers go beyond grooming and exploitation. In June 2021, 18-year-old Ron Machluf was indicted for using Roblox to lure and commit sexual offenses against girls aged 7 to 12. He contacted these girls through the game’s chat feature, offering Robux in exchange for inappropriate photos.

To safeguard their children, parents must take proactive steps, such as:

• teach your children how to be safe online. This is still risky as you'll need to monitor them to make sure they don't disobey you.

• Keep an eye on what games your children are playing and the people they are interacting with.

• Use the Parental Controls available to limit your child's exposure to threats.

• You should keep them off of discord and roblox because those two platforms have high rates of child abuse.