Roblox Schlep ban controversy

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On August 9, 2025, Schlep, a Roblox-focused YouTuber known for conducting sting operations against sexual predators, was permanently banned from Roblox due to his violations of terms of service. Roblox Corporation sent him a cease and desist letter, threatening to take legal action against him if he resumed his activities. The ban gained traction with the media and generated controversy in the Roblox community, with increased criticism towards Roblox's child safety policies. U.S. Congressman Ro Khanna contacted Schlep and created a petition, with a goal of 1 million signatures that urged Roblox to "do more" to protect children.[1][2]

On August 15, Schlep announced his intentions to countersue Roblox and that he had hired lawyers to fight its accusations.[3] Roblox made a statement, justifying the ban. It claimed that vigilante groups moved users off-site to participate in sexual conversations and that they normalized such behavior on the platform.[4]

Background

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See also: Child safety on Roblox

Personal life

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Schlep (real name Michael) is a 22-year-old,[5][3] Texas-based YouTuber with more than 1.6 million subscribers who is primarily known for Roblox-related content. He gained attention for organizing sting operations against sexual predators using Roblox to target minors, resulting in six arrests that were documented in videos on his channel, including videos like, "Roblox Predator Gets Arrested!". [6][7][8] Schlep stated that he began playing Roblox at the age of twelve,[9] where he was subjected to sexual grooming on the platform by a developer, further claiming that a report filed by his mother did not result in administrative action. He has attributed this experience, along with a subsequent suicide attempt, as motivation for his later efforts.[10]

YouTube career

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Schlep's profile picture

Schlep previously managed a different YouTube channel named "Maliboomer", where he uploaded family-friendly videos in 2020 about the Roblox game Theme Park Tycoon 2.[11] He deleted the YouTube account following his ban from Roblox.[8] Before his hobby of catching predators, Schlep's old videos criticized Roblox and highlighted inappropriate games on the platform.[12] After regularly getting complaints from his fans about sexual predators on Roblox, Schlep began investigating the platform, leading him to working with YouTuber JiDion.[13] Schlep identified himself as a "predator hunter". With his team, he created decoy accounts on Roblox that claimed to be minors to lure sexual predators, who engaged in explicit messaging with the decoys before agreeing to meet in person.[14][15] The team let predators send unprompted incriminating messages to the decoys before showing it to police as evidence. Of the six arrests, one did not result in charges.[12]

In one sting operation, a 21-year-old man was arrested after arranging an in-person meeting with a decoy he met on Roblox and communicated with for 2 months.[7] Before the ban, Schlep criticized Roblox on Twitter for their failure to ban dangerous users from the platform. For example, on October 8, 2024, he posted screenshots of a Roblox account that apparently attempted to exchange "illegal photos", claiming that the account belonged to an arrested person charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Schlep additionally claimed that the user sold child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on Roblox.[16] Schlep's activities included coordination with local police and collaboration with groups such as "EDP Watch", founded by JiDion, and "Predator Poachers", led by Alex Rosen.[17] In an interview with Rolling Stone, Schlep said that he always wanted to collaborate with Roblox to solve the problem of child safety, but because of the platform's faulty moderation and report system, he stopped trusting them and decided to take matters into his own hands.[12]

Controversy

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Cease and desist letter

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The cease and desist letter on behalf of Roblox Corporation posted by Schlep on X (formerly Twitter)

On August 9, 2025, Schlep made a post on Twitter that included a photo of a cease and desist notice that he received from Roblox.[1] The company said that he violated Roblox policies, specifically its new "vigilante groups" rule, and that he "actively interferes" with their protocols and should have reported inappropriate conduct to "official channels". They threatened to take legal action against him if he continued his activities or attempted to access Roblox.[18][19] The letter also said that he violated user privacy guidelines by participating in "unauthorized and harmful activities" to users.[20] Roblox terminated all of Schlep's accounts from the platform and prohibited him from creating new ones.[17] Schlep also said that Roblox CEO David Baszucki blocked him on X.[21]

On the same day, Schlep uploaded an 8-minute video to his YouTube channel, titled "Roblox Is Threatening to Sue Me For Protecting Kids", in which he detailed his termination from the platform and criticized Roblox.[22] Schlep said that he was groomed in his youth on Roblox by a "popular developer", who made him watch gore videos and sexually explicit content and manipulated him to do inappropriate actions. At the time, his mother contacted Roblox about the predator, to which Roblox dismissed her concerns and took no action. The predator continued to mistreat children until the eventual ban of his account a few years after his mother reported the incident.[23] He also said that he and his team were thanked by police for catching predators on Roblox.[24] Schlep added that he was disappointed with the termination of his accounts, and that it was the first time he was directly contacted by the platform. Schlep called the claims in the cease-and-desist letter "laughably hilarious." He added that he will not be accessing Roblox ever again unless allowed by the platform, and that he will continue his operations against predators on his website.[25]

Reactions

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The incident quickly gained traction, with the Roblox community voicing significant backlash to Schlep's ban and accusing Roblox of not caring about child safety. Shortly after the event, the hashtag "#freeschlep" became popular on Twitter for several days, with users praising his actions.[17] Some popular content creators quit Roblox's content program as a protest. Popular YouTubers like Cr1TiKaL, JiDion, and KreekCraft denounced Roblox's actions as "backwards" and "hypocritical".[26] Ruben Sim, a YouTuber who was previously sued by Roblox, also showed his support.[27] Some Roblox third-party developers intended to change icons and thumbnails of their games to read "FREE SCHLEP".[28] Multiple players set their Roblox display name to "FREESCHLEP" and staged in-game protests, chanting "Free Schlep" in the chat.[29] An online streamer named Steak, with 3 million followers, staged a live protest at the Utah Capitol, holding signs that read "Free Schlep" for tens of thousands of online viewers.[3]

Major media outlets reported on the controversy and scheduled national interviews.[30] American television journalist Chris Hansen, known for the television show To Catch a Predator, announced the production of a documentary film about child safety on Roblox, and that he had interviewed law enforcement, abuse victims, and Schlep for the project.[31][32] Hansen was featured in a YouTube video from Schlep on August 22, where they discussed the future documentary and child safety on Roblox.[33] Schlep reached out to Senator Ted Cruz by email and asked him to take action against Roblox. Representative Ro Khanna contacted Schlep and announced a petition on his website that demanded Roblox update its child safety policies to be more effective.[21][34] On August 19, Ro Khanna announced on TikTok that his petition received nearly 100,000 signatures.[35]

After the backlash, Roblox Corporation released a statement on their decision to ban vigilante groups, reasoning that vigilante groups normalized inappropriate conduct on Roblox by impersonating minors and moving users off-site to participate in sexual conversations.[36] In a statement to Rolling Stone, the company shared quotes from police, attorneys, and academics describing how vigilante groups can interfere with official investigations and undermine criminal proceedings.[12] Matt Kaufman, head of Roblox security, made a video on August 16 addressing the concerns, saying that Schlep's actions represented "vigilantism".[37] Schlep rebuffed the company's portrayal of him as a vigilante, saying he has not "tak[en] the law into his own hands".[12]

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On August 15, Schlep announced that he had hired lawyers with the intention to countersue Roblox.[3][38] Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley, the law firm that represents Schlep, stated that Roblox's policies have enabled child predators, adding that they represent over 500 clients with similar stories of abuse.[39] Steven Vanderporten, one of the lawyers, stated that Roblox's decision to ban Schlep suggests their carelessness about child safety and the suppression of criticism.[40] He also stated that inappropriate games on Roblox have existed for almost 20 years, and that Roblox did nothing about them and used them to make profit.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Who is Schlep? Roblox YouTuber gets account banned after catching alleged child predators live on stream". The Times of India. August 14, 2025. ISSN 0971-8257.
  2. ^ "Roblox under fire for 'not doing enough to protect kids' as Congressman Ro Khanna launches petition". The Economic Times. August 14, 2025. ISSN 0013-0389.
  3. ^ a b c d Gilson, Grace (August 15, 2025). "Roblox's ban of a user named 'Schlep' has ignited a crisis for the mega-popular gaming platform". Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
  4. ^ Ochoa, Joseph; Ross, Sydney (August 21, 2025). "High Point family sues Roblox, alleging child exploitation and predator access on platform". WRAL News.
  5. ^ Burch, Christopher (August 12, 2025). "YouTuber caught sexual predators on Roblox. Now he's facing a ban from the platform". NJ.com.
  6. ^ Murray, Conor (August 15, 2025). "Roblox Child Safety Controversy Grows: Louisiana Sues Gaming Platform". Forbes.
  7. ^ a b Lopez, Christina (June 14, 2025). "Online safety group nabs Fresno man trying to meet child through gaming platform". KFSN-TV.
  8. ^ a b Gilson, Grace (August 16, 2025). "Controversy follows Roblox ban of user 'Schlep'". The Jerusalem Post.
  9. ^ Bagchi, Nillohit (August 12, 2025). "Who is Real Schlep? YouTuber banned by Roblox for staging 'child endangerment' chats after exposing 6 alleged predators on the gaming platform". IndiaTimes.
  10. ^ "Roblox bans 'predator hunter' YouTuber Schlep over safety protocol violations". The Express Tribune. August 14, 2025.
  11. ^ Hale, James (August 14, 2025). "Roblox banned a YouTuber for hunting child predators on its platform. What's it doing to protect kids?". Tubefilter.
  12. ^ a b c d e Klee, Miles (August 25, 2025). "Roblox Banned a Creator for 'Hunting' Pedophiles -- And Critics Are Pissed". Rolling Stone.
  13. ^ a b Field, Matthew (August 23, 2025). "The paedophile hunters tracking their quarry on Roblox". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235.
  14. ^ Harding, Rebekah (August 15, 2025). "Roblox stands behind kicking off Shlep, a self-described "predator hunter", and now Chris Hansen is involved". The Daily Dot.
  15. ^ Knapper, Ryan (August 18, 2025). "YouTuber Schlep Banned by Roblox for Alleged Predator Sting Operations". Mxdwn News.
  16. ^ Dios, Vania (August 23, 2025). ""Schlep" and the predators". El Informador (in Spanish). Archived from the original on August 23, 2025.
  17. ^ a b c Asarch, Steven (August 14, 2025). "Roblox's 'Vigilante' Crackdown: Why the Gaming Platform Is Banning Predator Hunters". PC Magazine.
  18. ^ Vaidyanathan, Vaishnavi (August 12, 2025). "Roblox suing Schlep? YouTuber claims he was banned for exposing predators, received cease-and-desist". Hindustan Times.
  19. ^ Brigstock, Jake (August 12, 2025). "Roblox drama explained as Schlep 'predator hunter' YouTuber banned from platform". Indy100.
  20. ^ Veress, Ben (August 18, 2025). "Louisiana Sues Roblox, Calling It "The Perfect Place For Pedophiles"". Blunt Magazine.
  21. ^ a b Liddel, James (August 14, 2025). "'Predator hunter' YouTuber hit with cease and desist letter from Roblox CEO". The Independent.
  22. ^ Oleaga, Keisha (August 12, 2025). "YouTuber who catches predators on Roblox banned from game". What's Trending.
  23. ^ "Longtime Roblox Player Hit With Legal Threats After Exposing Predators on Platform". Baller Alert. August 13, 2025 – via MSN.
  24. ^ Buckley, Matt (August 12, 2025). ""This video is a cry for help" Roblox content creator Schlep threatened with lawsuit". GamePressure.
  25. ^ Cowen, Trace (August 11, 2025). "YouTuber Says Roblox Threatened Him With Litigation 'Because I Catch Predators on Their Platform'". Complex Magazine.
  26. ^ Hales, Adam (August 12, 2025). "Roblox Faces Backlash for Banning YouTuber Who Aimed to Expose Platform Predators — and Threatens Legal Action". Windows Central.
  27. ^ Mckendry, Nolan (August 18, 2025). "User revolution festered against Roblox long before Louisiana's lawsuit". The Center Square.
  28. ^ Cooper, Dalton (August 13, 2025). "Petition to Remove Roblox CEO is Blowing Up". Game Rant. Archived from the original on August 13, 2025.
  29. ^ Bamisile, Oluwaseun (August 18, 2025). "Roblox stock took a hit amid controversy over child safety, lawsuits, and bans". Techloy News.
  30. ^ "Roblox Retaliates Against Child Abuse Survivor Who Exposed Platform's Predator Problem". AP News. August 14, 2025.
  31. ^ Maxwell, Leanne (August 17, 2025). "Chris Hansen of 'To Catch a Predator' Fame to Expose Roblox in New TruBlu Documentary". SFist. Archived from the original on August 18, 2025.
  32. ^ Tassi, Paul (August 16, 2025). "Everything's Coming Up 'Roblox' As Chris Hansen And Schlep Dig Into Its Predator Problem". Forbes.
  33. ^ Bryant, Jacob (August 22, 2025). "Chris Hansen Says Positive Response to His Roblox Sex Predator Doc Has 'Overwhelmed' Him". TheWrap.
  34. ^ Wilson, Daren (August 15, 2025). "Congressman Ro Khanna Demands Roblox Transparency in Child Safety Crackdown". Bangla Newspaper.
  35. ^ Mankar, Sagar (August 20, 2025). "Ro Khanna's Roblox Petition Nears 100K Signatures, Aiming for 1 Million Before September Conference". Gaming Amigos.
  36. ^ Liddell, James (August 15, 2025). "Roblox CEO called on to resign after sending cease and desist letter to online 'predator hunter'". The Independent.
  37. ^ "Petition to remove Roblox CEO after controversial letter reaches over 100,000 signatures". Notitarde (in Spanish). August 19, 2025.
  38. ^ ""We are working hard on this project": Chris Hansen confirms inquiry into child exploitation on Roblox following Schlep controversy". The Times of India. August 16, 2025. ISSN 0971-8257.
  39. ^ Wojciechowski, Charlie; Farr, Christian (August 21, 2025). "Roblox faces scrutiny after banning YouTuber 'Schlep' amid ongoing controversy". WMAQ-TV.
  40. ^ Soebroto, Ashley; Warren, Peter (August 21, 2025). "Roblox faces growing backlash over child exploitation risks. What to know". Houston Chronicle.
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