The mother of a girl who was groomed through the gaming platform Roblox has warned parents to keep an eye on their children’s online activity, as her daughter’s abuser was jailed for 28 months.
‘Calculating’ Carlo Tritta, 19, started talking to the girl, who is now 14, in September 2024, and later moved their conversation to other messaging services.
He built her trust until she felt they were in a relationship, before encouraging her to send sexually explicit messages.
The girl’s mother discovered the abuse on her daughter’s phone last August, having noticed that she was depressed.
Tritta sent the schoolgirl, from Manchester, an old phone in an attempt to stop their conversations being seen.
After a year of grooming, the victim’s mother reported him to the police.
Carlo Tritta built his victim’s trust on Roblox until she felt they were in a relationship, before encouraging her to send sexually explicit messages
The child abuser was arrested while he was at work, on suspicion of grooming a teenager
But even after an investigation was launched, Tritta, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, continued to send her daughter gifts and Moonpig cards.
One printed message read: ‘I know your mum saw the last one but you need to seriously think about this and if she sees this you need to think about this too.
He added: ‘If this goes to court, this will likely end up on the news, that’s both of our names ran through dirt for the whole world to see,’ before signing off “I love you, C x”
The abuser even travelled from his Hampshire to her home in Manchester several times and called social services to report the girl’s mother.
He later told the girl he had called the police on her mother and brother ‘for your protection’.
In December, Tritta was arrested for perverting the course of justice after he tried to get his victim to drop the charges. But just three days after he was given a suspended sentence, he returned to her family home.
He was rearrested and charged with a series of child sex offences.
Eeven after an investigation was launched, Tritta continued to send his victim Moonpig cards with threatening messages
Today, he was jailed and put on the sex offenders register for ten years, after pleading guilty to sexual communication with a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act, and making indecent images. He also admitted two counts of witness intimidation and criminal damage.
Roblox – which the girl had played since she was seven – is the most frequently played game in the UK for eight to 12 year olds.
Her mother told ITV News: ‘I just never thought anything of this game.
‘Some parents think their child’s playing it, they’re online playing with their friends.
‘But what you need to realise is there’s also people… who are a lot older, who are on that game for one reason, and it’s to groom.
‘If you asked me months ago, would I think something like this would happen? No, not to my child.’
A spokesman for the game said: ‘We are deeply saddened to hear of this troubling case. Criminal behaviour has no place on Roblox.
‘Since January, Roblox has required all users to go through age checks in order to communicate on our platform, with the system designed to limit communications to people of similar ages and those they already know.’