Roblox Looking Into Disappearance Of 15-Year-Old User

2 weeks ago 9

Published Jan 26, 2026, 12:33 PM EST

Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond.

In a harrowing report released late last week, it appears that 15-year-old Roblox user Thomas Medlin may have been targeted using the platform after apparently going missing on January 9. Medlin reportedly took a train from Long Island to Grand Central to meet another user he allegedly met in a Roblox chat thread.

In the original report from Long Island News 12, Medlin's mother stated that law enforcement suggested her son met someone on Roblox and planned a meet-up in person. However, a new statement from Roblox on social media (via Insider Gaming) suggests that there doesn't appear to be anything nefarious in the direct communications that Medlin had on the platform.

Roblox Investigates Disappearance Of Young Gamer

According to Roblox, the company found "no attempts to direct [Medlin] to an off-platform communication method, no sharing of off-platform contact information, including usernames, phone numbers or other communication methods," and found that "all chat content was consistent with typical in-game discussions."

There was also "no indication that he used voice chat," and the company promises to continue cooperating with law enforcement investigations into the boy's disappearance.

Roblox has been cooperating with law enforcement since their investigation into Medlin's disappearance earlier this month, which includes providing information on communicates he may have had on the platform. Based on the company's statements, however, it doesn't appear that officials will be able to gather any useful information from Medlin's Roblox user chats.

As of this writing, Medlin's whereabouts are still unknown, and the child has been missing for over two weeks at this point. While Roblox promises to continue working with officials in the investigation, based on their statement, it's unclear exactly what role the platform played in Medlin's disappearance or how much Roblox is to blame for the situation, if at all.

Roblox Has Been Called Out Over Children's Safety Before

That said, this isn't the first time Roblox has faced scrutiny for its ability to protect young users from predators on the platform. While they have promised to ramp up security measures in recent months and even rolled out a new age verification process, gamers remain skeptical that the platform is capable of successfully dealing with the issue of child safety.

Medlin's disappearance is one of several deeply concerning stories that have surfaced in recent months, and Roblox remains adamant that they are dealing with these issues head on, doing everything possible to make a safe space for children. The Suffolk County PD has requested that anyone with information about Thomas Medlin's whereabouts should contact Fourth Squad Detectives at (631) 854-8452, or to call 911 immediately.