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Upstate New York Man Charged in Roblox Child-Exploitation Case Released on Bond

Investigators trace the case to a March FBI tip from a parent, leading to warrants that uncovered child sexual abuse material.

Overview

  • Prosecutors charged Vincent Steiner of Chili, N.Y., with production and attempted production of child pornography and sexual exploitation of children.
  • Court documents say searches in July seized his phone and revealed child sexual abuse material, including images of the 12-year-old and of children as young as 4.
  • Investigators allege he used Roblox accounts named LordVader1253 and IceShark1253 to contact minors, obtained phone numbers, and told at least one victim he was 20 despite knowing her age.
  • He was arrested on Nov. 6, released after forfeiting his home to post an $82,118 bond, and is scheduled to appear in federal court in January.
  • The Chili Fire Department says he resigned in July, and local reports say Roblox plans to introduce U.S. chat age verification next year via government ID or an AI-verified selfie.