A New York family’s search for their missing son highlights how online gaming platforms like Roblox can blur the line between virtual interaction and real-world danger
A 15-year-old disappears after a trip to New York City
For one New York family, a video game and a train ride have turned into a nightmare that has lasted weeks.
According to the Suffolk County Police Department, 15-year-old Thomas Medlin of St. James, New York, went missing on Friday, January 9. Police say he left The Stony Brook School around 3:30 p.m., went to the local train station, and traveled into Manhattan.
Investigators say he was later seen at Grand Central Station around 5:30 p.m. that same day. His last known locations were reported near Cherry Street and Rutgers Street in Lower Manhattan and later near Sands Street and Jay Street in Brooklyn.
Thomas’s family believes he may have traveled to New York City to meet someone he connected with on the gaming platform Roblox.
His mother, Eva Yan, has described the entire situation as “completely out of character” for Thomas and says friends and family have been organizing search parties and looking for him every day.
“Everyone loves him,” she told one local outlet. “We just want him to be safe.”
Investigators traced the teen’s movements from school to a local train station and later to Grand Central Terminal, underscoring how quickly a plan can unfold.
“I met someone through Roblox. I want to meet this person.”
In a televised interview, Thomas’s mother shared what she has learned from his classmates and from the school:
- A friend reportedly told school staff that Thomas had said he met someone through Roblox and wanted to meet that person in real life.
- That friend told him not to go, warning it might not be safe.
- Thomas told his parents he would be staying at school and hanging out with friends in the dorm, which they believed was normal and safe behavior.
- When his father arrived around 9 p.m. to pick him up, Thomas was gone, and school security could not find him.
For many parents, this hits close to home. A child appears to be doing what kids normally do, staying after school, spending time with friends, while a separate, hidden plan is unfolding in the background.
Multiple accounts and parental controls that can be bypassed
Thomas’s mother also described how complicated things became when she tried to understand his Roblox activity:
- The original Roblox account was tied to her email address, so she expected to receive alerts about account changes.
- Normally, changing that email would require codes sent to her.
- She later learned Thomas had created multiple Roblox accounts – she believes at least five, and tied them to a separate email account he controlled.
- In her view, he was able to work around her email protections and set up “different security work” that kept his actual activity from her.
For parents, this raises a hard truth:
- Even when you set up a game account through your own email and believe you will see every alert, a tech-savvy teen can sometimes create new accounts or new emails in the background.
- That makes it much harder to see who they are talking to, what games they are playing, and whether someone is trying to lure them off-platform.
What Roblox says about this case
Review Roblox privacy and chat settings.
In a statement reported by People Magazine, a Roblox spokesperson said:
“We are deeply troubled by this incident and are working with law enforcement to support their investigation.”
The company also emphasized that Roblox has safety features meant to protect users.
In another public statement referenced on-air, Roblox said it had:
- Conducted a review to support law enforcement, and
- Found no attempts to direct Thomas to an off-platform communication method and no sharing of off-platform contact information such as usernames, phone numbers, or other contact methods.
At the same time, Thomas’s family has said:
- They still have not personally seen all of the messages.
- It has taken time for social media and gaming platforms to release information to law enforcement in a missing child investigation.
- Detectives are still actively working with Roblox and other platforms to gather and analyze data.
Both things can be true at once:
- A platform may not see clear “go meet me here, at this time” messages in its logs.
- A child may still be influenced, groomed, or encouraged in ways that are not obvious from a quick keyword scan.
The emotional reality for the family of the missing boy
Behind every investigation is a family living with uncertainty, fear, and exhaustion. Often searching nightly while waiting for answers.
The legal and tech angles matter, but the heart of this story is a family in pain.
Thomas’s mother describes:
- Spending nights searching until the early morning hours.
- Watching days pass with no contact and calling it “unbearable.”
- Feeling like the uncertainty is “like being in hell, more than hell.”
When she was asked what she would say if Thomas could see her, her message was simple:
She loves him deeply, he is not in trouble, and whatever happened, she just wants to know that he is safe.
She asks anyone he may be staying with to have a kind heart and let the family know he is okay.
For other parents, there is an important takeaway here. This is not a story about a child who was unloved, unsupported, or ignored. Thomas is described as:
- Highly intelligent
- Athletic
- A musician who has played at Carnegie Hall
- Multi-lingual and well-traveled
In other words, a child with every reason to have a bright future, and a family that invested deeply in his life. Online risk does not only affect “neglected” kids. It can touch any family.
What this case teaches parents about Roblox and similar platforms
Clear conversations, not just parental controls, are critical when it comes to online gaming, especially when digital interactions cross into real life.
We do not know how this story will end. As of the latest reporting, Thomas is still missing, and law enforcement is actively investigating.
But there are lessons parents can start applying today:
- Conversations must go beyond “be safe online”
Instead of only saying “be careful on Roblox,” try specific language:
- “If someone you only know from a game wants to meet in real life, that is not okay. You will never be in trouble for telling us about it.”
- “If anyone tells you to keep a secret from us, that is a red flag. You can always come to us.”
Make it clear they are never punished for honesty, even if they think they broke a rule.
- Assume there may be more than one account
- Ask directly: “Do you have other Roblox accounts or emails you use?”
- Look for usernames, nicknames, or email variations your child uses elsewhere.
- Understand that one “parent email + one account” is not always the whole picture.
- Watch for big behavior changes and sudden “independence plans”
In this case, the family says this behavior was completely out of character:
- A sudden push to go to a specific place (Times Square, New York City, a particular neighborhood) may be worth exploring.
- If your child insists on traveling alone or staying out in ways that do not match their usual personality, dig deeper.
- Learn what safety tools exist, but do not rely on them alone
Platforms like Roblox talk about:
- AI filters
- Chat moderation
- Reporting tools
- Limits on off-platform contact info
These tools matter. But they are not a substitute for:
- Ongoing conversations
- Clear rules about meeting people from games
- Active checks on devices and accounts
When online interactions lead to real-world danger
Most children who use Roblox will never disappear to meet someone they met in-game. But many families may face:
- Grooming behavior in chats or private servers
- Requests for explicit photos or personal information
- Pressure to move conversations to other apps
- Emotional trauma or fear when a child is manipulated or threatened
In the most serious cases, families may be dealing with:
- Missing children
- Law enforcement investigations across multiple states
- Potential claims against platforms or third parties who failed to protect children from predictable risks
Our perspective as lawyers and as part of a community of parents
At Armando Personal Injury Law, we have been following:
- Allegations around Roblox and other platforms involving child exploitation and trafficking
- The rollout of facial recognition and AI age estimation tools that are promoted as safety features
- How families experience real-world harm that may be connected to online platforms, including grooming and luring
We are not involved in Thomas’s case. We do not represent his family. We are using publicly reported information to help other parents understand how quickly online interactions can turn serious.
We have discussed issues surrounding the ongoing Roblox mass tort involving SA, trafficking, and exploitation of children. You can watch out last podcast video discussing Roblox, Facial Recognition & Child Safety here:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/R3As-b8BTFs
If your child has been harmed because of something that started on an online platform or in a game, you deserve answers and support.
Talk with someone about what happened
If your family is dealing with:
- Online grooming or exploitation
- A child who was lured into a dangerous situation through a game or social platform
- Serious emotional or physical harm tied to online interactions
You can speak with a lawyer about what happened and what options may exist.
Armando Personal Injury Law – Tampa, Florida
Serving Tampa, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, and communities across Florida
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Roblox Child Sex Abuse Lawsuit: Justice for Families Betrayed by Big Tech
https://www.armandoinjurylaw.com/mass-tort/roblox-lawsuits/
This blog post is general information and commentary based on public reporting. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney–client relationship. To get advice about your specific situation, speak directly with our lawyers about the specific facts of your case.
Note: For the latest information about this missing teen case, or to provide a tip, follow the guidance of local authorities. Anyone with information on Thomas’s whereabouts is asked to call the SCPD’s Fourth Squad Detectives at 631-854-8452 or call 911.
About the Author
Attorney Armando Edmiston is the founding attorney of Armando Personal Injury Law in Tampa, Florida, a law firm dedicated to helping people harmed in car, truck, motorcycle, nursing home, and other serious injury cases. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and personal injury lawyer, Armando draws on his real-world courtroom experience and years of representing injured Floridians to write and carefully review the legal content on this website. Every guide is written in clear, straightforward language so injured people and their families can better understand their rights, and is reviewed for legal accuracy before publication.
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