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| The Roblox account avatar associated with Schlep, which was banned by the platform. |
Roblox has ignited widespread controversy by permanently banning the YouTuber known as Schlep, who gained notoriety for exposing alleged child predators on the platform. The 22-year-old content creator, real name Michael, had amassed a large following by conducting sting operations—posing as minors in Roblox to engage with suspected predators, collecting evidence, and passing it to law enforcement. His efforts reportedly contributed to the arrest of six individuals. Despite these results, Roblox terminated all of his accounts and issued a cease-and-desist notice, citing violations of its terms of service and safety policies.
Roblox justified its actions by stating that such "vigilante" operations bypassed established moderation channels and could endanger users by moving interactions off-platform or staging scenarios that violate community standards. The company emphasized that safety protocols must be handled through formal systems, not independent initiatives.
The move triggered a fierce backlash across the Roblox community and beyond. The hashtag #FreeSchlep rapidly gained traction, with fans, creators, and notable personalities including MoistCr1TiKaL, JiDeon, and KreekCraft denouncing Roblox’s decision as hypocritical and harmful to child safety. Some creators even threatened to leave Roblox’s influencer program in protest.
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| U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, who called for stronger child safety measures on Roblox. |
Political and media figures joined the fray. U.S. Representative Ro Khanna launched a petition demanding stronger child safety policies from Roblox, while former To Catch a Predator correspondent Chris Hansen confirmed he was producing a documentary investigation into child exploitation on the platform.
For Michael, the ban was deeply personal. He says his efforts were motivated in part by his own experience of being groomed as a child on Roblox. He has since hired legal counsel and announced plans to countersue the company.
This drama underscores a pressing dilemma for modern platforms: how to balance the urgency of child protection with the need for controlled, legally sound moderation. Roblox’s choice to penalize someone acting in the interest of user safety has divided opinion and raised questions about whether the platform’s systems truly serve its most vulnerable users.