Patriot Brief

  • What Happened: A 29-year-old Rhode Island man was arrested for using Fortnite, Roblox, and Snapchat to groom and exploit a Florida child, coercing the victim into sending hundreds of explicit images.
  • Why It Matters: Florida AG James Uthmeier called out parents for not monitoring their children's online activity, warning that strangers can "get access to your little girl" through gaming platforms.
  • Bottom Line: Uthmeier said parents need to wake up and spend more time looking over their kids' shoulders to see what they are doing and who they are talking to online.

A 29-year-old predator just used Fortnite, Roblox, and Snapchat to groom a child, and Florida's attorney general has a message for parents. Wake up.

Justin Adkins of Rhode Island was arrested after authorities say he groomed and exploited a child in Florida. According to prosecutors, Adkins coerced the victim into making and sending hundreds of explicit pictures and videos.

Florida AG James Uthmeier did not mince words when announcing the arrest. "Parents need to wake up!" Uthmeier said. "It's a place where a stranger, an adult in another state, can get access to your little girl."

Let that sink in. A 29-year-old man in Rhode Island groomed a child in Florida using video games and social media apps that millions of kids use every single day. He did not need to be in the same state. He did not need to be in the same room. All he needed was access to a child who was left unsupervised online.

This is not a rare case. This is happening all over the country. Predators are using Fortnite, Roblox, Snapchat, and every other platform where kids spend time to gain access, build trust, and exploit children. And too many parents have no idea what their kids are doing online.

Former Secret Service agent Bobby McDonald put it bluntly. "We've got to spend a little bit more time looking over the shoulder of our kids to see what they're doing and who they're doing it with and what platforms they're spending a lot of time with," McDonald said.

Parents need to hear this. Your child's online activity is not private. It is not safe. And if you are not monitoring it, you are leaving your kids vulnerable to predators who know exactly how to manipulate them.

Adkins allegedly coerced his victim into sending hundreds of explicit images. Hundreds. That did not happen overnight. It happened because a predator had time, access, and no parental oversight.

Uthmeier is right. Parents need to wake up. Gaming apps are not babysitters. Social media is not a safe space. And if you are not watching what your kids are doing online, someone else is.