Roblox faces backlash after banning YouTuber who exposed predators
Roblox has come under fire after banning YouTuber Schlep for exposing predators.
Image: Instagram
Roblox is facing one of its biggest scandals yet after banning YouTuber Schlep, a 22-year-old creator who made his name by catching alleged predators on the platform.
The move has triggered massive backlash, including a petition demanding the resignation of CEO David Baszucki that has already received 215,000 signatures.
With more than 1.6 million subscribers, Schlep built his channel around “predator hunting” in Roblox’s kid-friendly worlds.
He says his investigations have led to at least six arrests in the past year.
Schlep shared that as a child, he was groomed on Roblox by a well-known developer.
When his mother reported it, Roblox allegedly dismissed her concerns, and the abuser stayed active for years.
That experience pushed him to dedicate his channel to protecting kids on the platform he grew up on.
On August 11, Roblox shut down Schlep’s accounts and sent him a cease-and-desist letter.
The company accused him of “harmful activities,” moving chats off-platform, and interfering with official safety systems.
Roblox insists only trained professionals and law enforcement should handle predator cases, not independent creators.
Schlep calls the accusations unfair. He says predators often shift to Discord, where he follows the evidence before handing it to the police.
Instead of acting on those reports, Roblox, he says, targeted him: “They refuse to act in a lot of instances,” he said, describing the ban as heartbreaking.
To his supporters, Schlep is a whistleblower who’s been punished for exposing uncomfortable truths.
The resignation petition is gaining momentum, and Chris Hansen, who is famous for the “To Catch a Predator” show, has reportedly contacted Schlep for a potential documentary.
On social media, many players accuse Roblox of protecting its image rather than its young community.
The Schlep controversy isn’t happening in a vacuum. Roblox has faced rising criticism worldwide over how it safeguards kids.
Qatar recently blocked access to the game entirely, joining countries like China, Turkey, Oman, and Kuwait, which have all flagged similar concerns about predators and inappropriate content.
Under pressure, Roblox is rolling out new safety updates, including an “Adults-Only” section where restricted content is locked to players 18 and older.
The age limit was previously 17, but now even creators must be 18 to upload that type of material.
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