The mom of a teen who took his own life after being abused while playing on Roblox sued the company on Friday for wrongful death. Ethan Dallas had been playing in the virtual world that allows gamers to chat to one another since he was seven. Around 40 million of its players are under the age of 13, but anyone can play for free. It was there that Ethan met someone he thought was a child called Nate. The New York Times reports Nate taught Ethan how to disable parental controls before moving their conversation to Discord. It became sexual, with Nate threatening to share their conversation if Ethan, who had autism, didn’t send him pictures. Ethan started breaking out in fits of anger in 2022 and was moved by his father to a live-in treatment center for a year. In Dec. 2023, Ethan texted his mom, Becca Dallas, saying, “I’m sorry. I feel so bad about myself. I feel like I’m worthless.” Four months later, he died via suicide at the age of 15. A year on, authorities informed Dallas that Nate was suspected to be 37-year-old Timothy O’Connor, who The Times reports had been arrested on “separate charges of possessing child pornography and transmitting harmful material to minors.” “I couldn’t believe it,” Dallas said, adding she thought Roblox “was a children’s game.”
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
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