Pennsylvania State Police Warn of Online Predators Targeting Kids Through Video Games and AI

Troopers unveil new program to educate parents on the risks children face online.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 11:22pm

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Pennsylvania State Police are warning parents about the growing dangers children face online, as predators are using video game platforms like Roblox and new technologies like artificial intelligence to target kids. Troopers in Allegheny County have unveiled a new program called "Roblox Safety & Online Predators" to help families understand these risks and learn how to better protect their children.

Why it matters

With more children spending time online, especially on gaming platforms, there is an increased risk of online predators using these spaces to exploit and manipulate young users. The new program aims to educate parents on the tactics predators use, such as moving conversations from in-game chats to private messaging apps, as well as how emerging technologies like AI can be misused to create fake identities and deceive children.

The details

State police said predators are hiding in online gaming platforms like Roblox to find and start conversations with children. From there, they can pull kids off the gaming platform and into private chats on apps like Discord, Snapchat, and TikTok to continue contact. Troopers also warned that AI can be used by predators to create fake identities, manipulate images, or impersonate people online as tools to deceive children.

  • On Thursday, troopers in Allegheny County unveiled the "Roblox Safety & Online Predators" program.

The players

Pennsylvania State Police

The state law enforcement agency that is warning parents about the growing dangers children face online and has unveiled a new program to educate families.

Trooper Rocco Gagliardi

A Pennsylvania State Police trooper who spoke about the new program and the tactics used by online predators to target children.

Roblox

A popular online gaming platform that state police say predators are using to find and start conversations with children.

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What they’re saying

“There is no parental control set up. They don't restrict Discord link access. They don't have any other restrictions on Snapchat, TikTok or these other third-party applications because who on Earth would even know these two coorolate with each other.”

— Trooper Rocco Gagliardi, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper (cbsnews.com)

“We want them to be protected, and the only way you can do that is by understanding how this works, setting up parental controls properly.”

— Trooper Rocco Gagliardi, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper (cbsnews.com)

“If you start seeing a real strong increase on these different apps, that's something to bring up or look into.”

— Trooper Rocco Gagliardi, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper (cbsnews.com)

What’s next

The new "Roblox Safety & Online Predators" program is free for schools, churches, and community groups to access in order to educate parents and families on the risks children face online.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing threat of online predators using video games and emerging technologies like AI to target and exploit children. It underscores the importance of parents staying involved in their children's online activities, setting up proper parental controls, and having open conversations to prevent such exploitation.