An accused predator allegedly coerced a teenage girl he met on Roblox into sending him nude photos — and then twice tried to get her to kill herself, according to cops.
Landen Westfall, 24, was busted at home in Athens, Alabama on Feb. 9 on more than 260 charges of indecent behavior with a child following a four-month investigation expected to also lead to federal charges, according to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Westfall met the Louisiana teen in online chats on the popular kids’ game Roblox — then turned sinister when he moved their conversations to “other platforms,” the sheriff’s office said.
They eventually started having video chats, where “Westfall reportedly became verbally abusive and threatening toward” the teen — and “coerced the victim into cutting herself,” the sheriff’s statement claimed.
“He also encouraged her to take her own life on two occasions,” the sheriff’s office alleged.
Westfall was booked into a Louisiana jail on two counts of criminal assistance to suicide, 261 counts of indecent behavior with a child and 15 counts of pornography involving a juvenile. His bail was set at $750,000.
An FBI investigation is continuing, with federal charges “pending,” the sheriff said — while arning of the dangers of online games.
Sheriff Craig Webre warned parents that innocent-looking games can be exploited.
“Talk with your children about the dangers of online predators and be sure you have access to all their accounts, even games,” Sheriff Craig Webre said.
“Also remember that things created for kids – such as Roblox – can sometimes be exploited by predators. Just because something is ‘made for kids’ doesn’t mean you should blindly trust it.”
David R. Fitzgibbons, the special agent in charge of the FBI in Birmingham, also issued a stark warning.
“Crime knows no boundaries and neither should we,” he said.
Last November, Roblox bosses announced roll checks would be implemented for the platform’s 151 million users.
This is designed to ensure kids would chat with players of a similar age, not adults.
Chat functions for kids under 9 are switched off by default and a parent must provide consent following an age check.
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