Baltimore man gets 30 years for exploiting children on Roblox

A Halethorpe man who prosecutors say used Roblox to groom children, trade Robux for self-harm and explicit content, and then escalate to threats against victims’ families and pets was sentenced in Baltimore to 30 years in federal prison. Erik Lee Madison, 21, must also spend the rest of his life on supervised release and pay $3,000 in restitution after U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox imposed the sentence on June 16.

Federal prosecutors said Madison sexually exploited at least 10 minor girls between November 2024 and November 2025. He pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and cyberstalking, charges that carried a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years on the exploitation count, plus up to 10 years for cyberstalking. Investigators said he used the online game Roblox as one of the places where he reached minors, then pushed them toward private contact and abuse.

The case lays bare how predators exploit familiar platforms that Baltimore children use every day. According to investigators, Madison posed as “Leo764” and tied his manipulation to the violent extremist network known as 764, a nihilistic online group the FBI says targets vulnerable children and other vulnerable people with threats, blackmail, coercion, self-harm, animal cruelty and sexual exploitation. Federal authorities said the network has generated more than 250 investigations nationwide and has involved victims as young as 9.

The FBI has warned that these groups often begin where adults least expect trouble: in games, chat rooms and social media feeds that look harmless on the surface. In this case, prosecutors said Madison offered Robux, the in-game currency, to push children into producing sexual material and self-harm content, then moved to extortion and threats involving family members and pets when victims resisted or tried to pull away.

For Baltimore parents, school staff and youth-serving organizations, the warning sign is not just who children are talking to, but how quickly the conversation turns secretive, coercive and isolating. A child suddenly protecting a username, hiding messages, receiving gifts or currency, or being pressured to send images, harm themselves, or keep a relationship private should prompt immediate concern. So should any threat that reaches beyond the child and targets siblings, parents or animals.

The investigation was handled by the FBI Baltimore Field Office, Anne Arundel County Police and Baltimore County Police. Public reporting has also noted that Baltimore County police and the FBI interviewed Madison in 2022 after a cyber tip, and county police had previously charged him with animal abuse and possession of child pornography. His sentence adds another local case to a widening national crackdown on 764, as law enforcement tries to stop predators from turning popular games into pipelines for abuse.