Roblox predator who raped 10-year-old girl is locked up: Paedophile who 'targeted child he met on gaming platform' is jailed for six years

A 10-year-old girl was raped in woodland by a paedophile who groomed her over Roblox and Snapchat in a 'nightmare' case that will increase already deafening calls for the Government to better protect children online.

Ryan Sutton travelled 100 miles from Worcester to Finedon in Northamptonshire to violently abuse the primary school child he was secretly messaging.

The year six primary school pupil was lured to a wood and raped by the 24-year-old, who later blamed his victim for the rape and has never said sorry for his crimes.

The victim's mother believed that Sutton had met her daughter on Roblox and then moved to Snapchat, according to a pre-sentence report.

Sutton was today branded one of the country's worst sex offenders by the police officer who helped put him behind bars for a crime that has damaged the life of a vulnerable child and will terrify millions of mothers and fathers.

Prosecutor Henry James said: 'This is a case set to feed the nightmares of any parent of a child that owns a mobile phone.' 

The violent paedophile was jailed for six years at at Northampton Crown Court, with a further year to be served on extended licence. Sutton was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will remain on the sex offenders' register for life. 

Detective Constable James Wright also praised the 10-year-old girl for showing 'bravery beyond her years' after telling officers what her abuser had done to her and how she was groomed.

Northampton Crown Court heard how he chatted with his victim on Roblox, a gaming platform used by 80million children around the world each day. One in five users are under nine but it has no set age restrictions.

Campaigners have previously branded Roblox a 'X-rated paedophile hellscape', increasing pressure on the UK government to ensure the Online Safety Act imposes strict enough rules on online platforms to protect children including when it comes to age verification.

Roblox is the most popular gaming platform for eight to 12-year-olds in the UK - and until just before Christmas under 13s could message each other privately. The platform has brought in a raft of new safety features.

Marcus Johnstone of PCD Solicitors, who specialises in sexual offence cases, told MailOnline: 'I see many cases of child abuse which have been enabled by the internet. 

'Frequently these days it is fuelled by or facilitated by the growing influence of technology in our modern world, whether that is grooming on Roblox or on other apps and online meeting places.

'The Government often talks of keeping our streets safe, but it is increasingly online platforms that need to be policed and of focus for law enforcement if we want to stamp out and limit predatory sexual behaviour'.

The Online Safety Act, passed in 2023, is the UK's first major legislation to regulate social media, search engine, messaging, gaming, dating, pornography and file-sharing platforms.

The Act gives Ofcom the power to fine firms that fail to meet duties to users – potentially up to billions of pounds for the largest sites – and in serious cases can seek clearance to block access to a site in the UK. 

'We're deeply troubled by any reports of child endangerment, and take online safety and civility incredibly seriously — particularly the safety of younger users', a Roblox spokesperson said of the case.

'We have a strict policy against inappropriate content and behavior, including endangering or sexualising children in any way, and will take swift action against anyone found to be acting in breach of our Community Standards. 

'We work proactively with authorities to report cases of child endangerment and we regularly assist law enforcement agencies as they investigate incidents, including providing rapid response services that help law enforcement track down perpetrators'.

A spokesman for Snapchat said their 'our hearts go out to the victim in this case'.

'Any sexual exploitation of young people is horrific and illegal. We designed Snapchat to make it difficult for predators to find and interact with young people', the spokesman said.

'We have extra safeguards in place to help prevent strangers from being able to easily search for teens, in-app warnings if another user who doesn't share mutual friends tries to contact them, easy reporting tools so people can get help quickly, and our in-app Family Centre lets parents see who their teens are talking to, and who their friends are'.

Ryan Sutton, 24, groomed the schoolgirl on Roblox first, her mother said. They then moved to Snapchat in March 2023, sharing messages and images.

Their contact then moved onto texting, phone calls and FaceTime video chats, leading the girl to believe Sutton was her boyfriend and was in love with her.

On April 23, 2023, Sutton travelled from his home in Worcestershire to meet the girl in Finedon.

They were later found together in woodland, prompting Sutton to run off. He was later arrested while trying to leave the area by car.

An investigation was launched by the Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) at Northamptonshire Police, amid concerns that Sutton had had sexual contact with the girl.

Condoms had been found in his bag at the time of his arrest, but the victim had not indicated any sexual abuse.

It would take almost three months for her to bravely reveal to officers that Sutton had in fact raped and sexually assaulted her.

Sutton continued to deny any wrongdoing and blamed the girl he raped.

It was only when the case came to court did he admit one count of sexual grooming, a charge of meeting her for sexual activity following grooming, one count of sexual touching, another charge of assault by penetration and one of rape. 

Speaking after his sentencing, investigating officer Detective Constable James Wright, said: 'Ryan Sutton is one of the worst child sex offenders that I have investigated, and I believe he will always pose a risk to young girls.

'He meticulously groomed his young victim to a point where she believed that he loved her and wanted to be with her. He preyed on her vulnerability, and this culminated in him meeting with her and then raping her.

'He showed no remorse when he was arrested, or interviewed, and even with overwhelming forensic evidence against him he still denied any wrongdoing, at one point blaming this young child for what had happened.

'It was only when it got to the point of his first court hearing that he admitted his guilt, but even then, he acted as if he was the victim in all of this.

'I hope he does take the years in prison as a time to reflect, but that remains to be seen.

'The victim has shown bravery beyond her years in coming forward and speaking to the police about what happened to her, and her family have supported her through this extremely tough time.

'I am hopeful that they will now be able to start to try to put this behind them and move on with their lives, knowing that Sutton is in prison, and they have helped to stop a very dangerous man from offending again.'

In October a shock US report branded Roblox an 'X-rated paedophile hellscape'.

The popular online site has been accused of exposing children to 'grooming, pornography and violent content'.

In November Roblox then announced it will also no longer allow under 13s to directly message others outside of games or experiences.

Parents can also now monitor their child's activity remotely using their own linked account, as well as their child's screentime, set time limits and their friend lists.

Hindenburg Research issued damning findings last year after a lengthy investigation into the controversial platform which has no set age restrictions.

Roblox has become successful with young children - offering a series of different games and interactive tools, as well as the ability to create your own challenges.

But a study raised concerns about inappropriate links which are at a child's fingertips when accessing the site.

The report states: 'Core to the problem is that Roblox's social media features allow paedophiles to efficiently target hundreds of children, with no up-front screening to prevent them from joining the platform.'

It also says there are 'digital strip clubs, red light districts, sex parties and child predators lurking on Roblox'.

And the US-based platform is accused by investment firm Hindenburg Research, which carried out the probe last year, of being 'an X-rated pedophile hellscape, exposing children to grooming, pornography, violent content and extremely abusive speech'.

Colin Stitt, head of the Safer Schools campaign at INEQE Safeguarding Group, the largest independent safeguarding organisation in the UK and Ireland, has now urged parents to beware of potential dangers.

He told MailOnline: 'The report is a stark reminder that we can't simply assume a platform is safe for children just because it looks child-friendly.

'Parents and carers need to be proactive and educate themselves about the potential risks their children may face online, including exposure to inappropriate content, online predators, and harmful social interactions.

'It's crucial for parents and carers to have open and honest conversations with their children about online safety, empowering them to navigate digital spaces responsibly.

'This includes teaching them how to block and report users and content, and encouraging them to talk to a trusted adult if they encounter anything upsetting online.

'Remember, safeguarding our children in the digital world requires a collaborative effort

'Parents, carers, educators, and platforms like Roblox all have a role to play in creating a safer and more positive online experience for young people.'

Hindenburg Research teams investigating Roblox attempted to create accounts using names of infamous child molesters and criminals.

They tried to set one up under the name of Earl Brian Bradley - a paedophile convicted of molesting 103 children - but found the username was already taken, along with a host of variants, including earlbrianbradley69.

There were 900 variations of the name Jeffrey Epstein, after the late US billionaire tycoon and convicted paedophile, plus 600 hits when searching 'Diddy' games.

Some of these games were titled 'Diddy Party', 'Run from Diddy Simulator' and, separately, 'Escape to Epstein Island.'

Youngsters on 'child accounts' - that is, under the age of 13 - were also able to search 'adult' to find inappropriate content.

According to Roblox, 21 per cent of users are under the age of nine.

Researchers have now said they were easily able to track down games and groups trading child pornography and soliciting sexual favours.