Roblox predator who groomed girl and sent ‘highly sexualised’ messages jailed

The mother of a young girl who was taken into care by a sexual predator she met on the mobile gaming platform Roblox warned parents to be careful about their children’s phone use.

Carlo Tritta, 19, of Bishopstoke, Eastleigh, Hampshire, was locked up for 28 months after admitting various offenses including making indecent images of a child and sexual communication with a child.

Tritta first contacted the Manchester-area girl via Roblox in September 2024, when the girl was 14, and then took the conversation to other messaging apps such as Snapchat, Discord and WhatsApp.

Tritta continued to have “highly sexualized” conversations with his victim and shared intimate images and videos.

Police were alerted last August after the complainant’s mother discovered the messages and images.

Tritta was arrested and interrogated, but continued to violate his bail conditions while driving to the girl’s home to have her drop the case.

On Thursday, prosecutor Rachel Yarwood told Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court that Tritta entered the back door of the property and confronted the complainant despite him asking her to leave.

He said: “He also sent her letters, attempted to contact her by phone and made attempts to obstruct the criminal investigation.”

Tritta later admitted perverting the course of justice and last December was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years.

But just three days later he returned to the complainant’s home and attempted to confront her as she entered the property and damaged a video camera.

Tritta was arrested again and later pleaded guilty to making indecent images, including 25 photographs in the most serious classification of Category A, sexual communication with a child and causing a child to watch a sexual act, all committed between January and August 2025.

He also admitted intimidating the witness and causing criminal damage.

In a victim impact statement, the girl said she “felt trapped and sad” and was “scared to go downstairs at night” because she thought the defendant would be there.

The victim’s mother told the court they were “constantly tense” in their home, it “didn’t feel like a safe space anymore” and they were considering moving.

Edward Steele, defending, made what he called a “mercy plea” to the court to prevent Tritta’s previously suspended sentence from kicking in.

He said Tritta was “essentially obsessed” with his victim, “partly a function of his neurological condition.”

The court stated that the defendant suffered from Asperger syndrome as well as mixed anxiety and depressive disorder, and that this condition “may have compromised his ability to understand what he was doing.”

Mr Steele said: “He now accepts the seriousness of his crimes and this is reflected in a letter of apology and remorse.”

However, Recorder Ciaran Rankin ruled that Tritta’s behavior over a period of time should be reflected in an immediate period of custody.

He also noted that the author of the pre-sentence report considered Tritta to be a high risk of harming children and that the witness intimidation offenses were committed just days after the court verdict was handed down.

Following sentencing, Hampshire Police said Tritta made his victim believe he was in a relationship by “love bombing” her by constantly texting and sending her gifts and packages.

He texted the girl multiple times after his initial arrest and even sent her two cards through Moonpig.com to encourage her to drop the case.

Police added that the girl’s behavior escalated further when she reported her mother to social services.

The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the Press Association that she discovered Tritta’s communication with her daughter after the child became depressed, stopped sleeping well and became suicidal.

The mother said: “I feel like my daughter is in some sort of abusive, controlling, coercive relationship with someone much older than her.”

She added: “I don’t feel safe in my own home, I have cameras, I have to think about security, I’ve had to change school pickup times, I get nervous in my own home when I leave school.”

Calling for tighter restrictions for the users of apps aimed at children, she also advised parents to take care of what their children are doing on their phones.

He said of Roblox: “To me, I thought it was just a kids game.

“I didn’t think for a moment that these old people, these pedophiles, were actually interested in these games and communicating with these children.

“I try to tell as many people as possible: Be careful what your children play, they can be dangerous.

“I thought, my daughter, she gets good grades at school, she might be a bit of a pessimistic teenager, but she doesn’t go out.

“I thought how lucky I am to have my daughter at home with me and safe, but I’m in my bedroom and she’s in the other and all this is happening to her.”

Detective Constable Jodi Bartlett, who investigated the incident, said: “Tritta’s behavior reveals the horrific truths about how criminals use the online world to target and harm vulnerable people. Do you really know who you or your child are talking to online?”

“The victim in this case was just 14 years old. She and her mother were subjected to a campaign of fear and harassment at the hands of the obsessive and predatory Tritta.

“Gaming platforms should be spaces where people, especially children, are safe. The anonymity of the internet allows dangerous people like Tritta to prey on others for their own twisted interests, and Tritta’s attempts to continue his abuse of this young girl are shocking.”

“I would encourage parents to talk openly with their children about how they use the internet, and if you have any concerns, trust your instincts and report them to the police.”

Karina Lyon, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Tritta was not only a sexual predator, but he also displayed deeply disturbing behavior by going to the girl’s address in breach of bail and a court order, damaging property and attempting to interfere with witnesses.

“I hope today’s outcome sends a clear message that the Crown Prosecution Service is committed to bringing child abusers to justice.”