(Gray News) – A 15-year-old boy in New York has been missing for two weeks after reportedly traveling to see someone he met on Roblox.
Thomas Medlin went missing on Friday, Jan. 9, after traveling from his home on Long Island to Manhattan after school, according to a news release.
Medlin left Stony Brook School that Friday at around 3:30 p.m. and “ran” to the Stony Brook Long Island Rail Road station, where he seemingly caught a train into Manhattan.
His family has not heard from the teen since he left that Friday afternoon.
Thomas Medlin, 15, went missing after traveling into Manhattan from his Long Island,(Source: Suffolk County Police Department)
Medlin’s mother, Eva Yan, told News 12 that she believed the teen was heading into the city to meet someone he became acquainted with through Roblox. She said that the behavior was completely out of character for the 15-year-old.
A photo shared by police shows the 15-year-old wearing a backpack and holding a large object while walking on what appears to be a New York City subway platform.
A photo shared by police shows the 15-year-old wearing a backpack and holding a large object while walking on what appears to be a N.Y.C. subway train platform.(Source: Suffolk County Police Department)
The teen — who is 5-foot-4 and weighs 130 pounds — was last seen wearing a black jacket with red stripes, dark sweatpants with white stripes, a black backpack and glasses, according to police.
Police have since traced Thomas’s location in Lower Manhattan and later in Brooklyn, News 12 reported.
A spokesperson for Roblox released a statement saying, “We are deeply troubled by this incident and are working with law enforcement to support their investigation.”
“Roblox is built with safety at its core, including robust policies to help protect users that go beyond many other platforms,” the Roblox spokesperson continued. “We have filters designed to block the sharing of personal information and don’t allow user-to-user image or video sharing. While no system is perfect, our commitment to safety never ends, and we continue to evolve and strengthen our protections every day.”
The spokesperson also said the company can not comment further at this time due to the ongoing investigation.
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