Ocala 17-year-old convinced kids to send him sex abuse material on Roblox: Sheriff

A Florida teenager is facing charges as an adult after he allegedly convinced children to send him sexual abuse material over a popular online gaming site called Roblox, and authorities say there could be more victims.

It started with a tip that the sheriff’s office received on Feb. 28 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). It said that a user in Marion County was directing children to molest their younger siblings and produce child sexual abuse material on Roblox, NBC affiliate WESH reported.

Christian Scribben, 17, is facing charges from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after he allegedly admitted to talking to four or five children a day, every day for the past year to get this content.

The victims were as young as 8 years old, authorities said.

He faces multiple charges, including directing a sexual performance by a child, utilizing a computer to solicit a child while misrepresenting age, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device.

“He was doing something, a very heinous crime, it’s just a disgusting case, and we are very glad he’s in our jail,” Zachary Moore, the Public Information Officer for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, said.

Deputies said Scribben also admitted to lying about his age to appear more “acceptable” to young children. He would then allegedly move the conversations to Discord, an online messaging app, or text messages.

“He says he has been doing this for a while now, and he told Detective Osthed that he was planning on stopping once he turned 18. However, that is not realistic, he was doing something that is a very heinous crime,” said Moore.

Scribben was originally arrested on April 16 and taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice. He has since been charged as an adult and is in the Marion County Jail, where he is being held without bond.

In a statement to our affiliate WESH, Roblox said: “Roblox is deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our community, and helping protect children is a top priority. In February, we reported this case to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and permanently banned the account. Our policies prohibit such behavior and we do not allow user-to-user image sharing on our platform. We invest significant resources in advanced technology, including robust filters and human moderation teams, to detect and address inappropriate content and behavior. We continue to evolve our safety practices to promote a secure and positive experience for everyone on Roblox.”