An Athens man is accused of using the online gaming platform Roblox to sexually extort a child.
Landen Westfall, 24, is charged with two counts of criminal assistance to suicide, 261 counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile and 15 counts of child pornography.
The FBI, along with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, worked together after investigators said Westfall contacted the girl on Roblox and began a chat that led to verbally abusive and threatening messages. The sheriff’s office said Westfall pressured the girl to cut herself and encouraged her to kill herself at least twice or send explicit images. The investigation revealed Westfall did send or receive explicit images involving the minor.
The teen’s online activity involving Westfall began last October, and he was arrested in February.
Westfall is being held in jail on a $750,000 bond. He is considered innocent until proven guilty.
Parents have voiced concerns over Roblox, with some filing lawsuits against the platform. Roblox allows users to select "experiences" and play games in a virtual world. Users can create their own games and scenarios, making nearly any situation possible. However, some parents claim there are not enough protective features to protect children from predators.
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