A man who obsessively groomed a 14-year-old girl he met through the online gaming platform Roblox has been jailed for 28 months.
Carlo Tritta, now 19, kept indecent images of the girl and travelled hundreds of miles from his home in Eastleigh, Hampshire, to turn up uninvited at her home in Manchester.
The case has been described by police as a reminder of the risks children can face online. Tritta pleaded guilty to making indecent images.
The victim was 14 when she met Tritta through Roblox, a platform widely used by children and young people. According to the police account, the grooming became obsessive, and Tritta went on to collect indecent images involving the girl.
He later made the journey from Hampshire to Manchester, where he arrived at the girl’s home without being asked to do so. The trip covered hundreds of miles.
Authorities said the case highlights how online contact can escalate into serious abuse when offenders use digital platforms to build trust with children and then cross boundaries in the real world.
Tritta’s guilty plea to making indecent images formed part of the case that ended with a prison sentence of 28 months.
Roblox is one of the most popular gaming platforms for children, and the case adds to concerns about safeguarding on sites and apps where adults and minors can interact. Police have warned that families should remain alert to the possibility of exploitation, particularly when children spend time in open online spaces.
The sentencing brings the case to a close, but the circumstances have already prompted renewed attention on the need for vigilance around children’s online activity and the potential for grooming to begin in seemingly ordinary digital settings.
