Do You Know Who Your Kids Game With? New York Teen Still Missing

If you have kids who play online games, this is one of those stories that will make your stomach drop.

Teenager Missing After Meeting Online Acquaintance

A 15-year-old boy from Long Island has now been gone for about two weeks after leaving school one afternoon and heading into New York City. Investigators believe he went there to meet someone he connected with through Roblox.

Timeline: The Teen’s Disappearance and Police Efforts

According to authorities, Thomas Medlin left school on Friday, January 9, moved quickly to the train station, then took a train into Manhattan. Since then, his family has not heard from him. Police later tracked signs that he had been in Lower Manhattan and then in Brooklyn, but there has still been no confirmed contact with him. As a mom, this absolutely terrifies me.

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A Parent’s Fears and Emotional Response

My kid is 10, and he probably wouldn't make it around the block without realizing he forgot something and coming back home. But this is not about kids who are little and glued to our sides. This is about teenagers who are old enough to travel, old enough to feel independent, and young enough to still be incredibly vulnerable. And I cannot stop thinking about what his parents must be going through right now.

Understanding the Family’s Ordeal

According to Thomas's family, this kind of behavior is completely out of character for him. That is another part that hits hard. So many of us think we would notice if something was wrong or if our child was planning something risky. But sometimes conversations are happening on screens we never see, and friendships are forming with people we have never met.

The Gaming Company Responds to the Incident

Roblox says it launched an internal investigation as soon as it learned one of its users had been reported missing and immediately reached out to law enforcement to offer support. In a statement, the company said it found no attempts to move conversations off the platform, no sharing of personal contact information such as phone numbers or usernames, and no indication that voice chat was used. Roblox also said all chat reviewed was consistent with typical in-game conversations. The company added that it is continuing to fully cooperate with the police and is keeping Thomas and his family in its thoughts, while hoping for his safe return.

Facing Difficult Questions About Online Safety

Here is the part I cannot get past, and maybe you're thinking it too: Do we really know who our kids are talking to when they are gaming? Do we know what kind of conversations are happening in chats or private messages? Do we know if someone is slowly building trust with them over time? This is not about blaming parents. This is about how easily online connections can feel real, especially for teenagers already navigating friendships, emotions, and independence.

The Urgent Search and Lessons for Parents

Right now, the most important thing is finding this young man and getting him back to his family safely. But for the rest of us, especially parents across New York, this is a painful reminder that online safety is not just about screen time limits or blocking bad words. It is about ongoing conversations, checking in, and making sure our kids know they can tell us if something feels off, even if they think they will get in trouble.

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Tips for Talking to Your Kids About Online Safety

If you have kids who game, this might be a good night to sit down and talk. Not lecture. Just talk. Ask who they play with. Ask how they know them. Ask what kind of things they talk about while they are playing. For as much as we want to believe our kids would never take a risk like this, families across our state are learning now that sometimes, the danger does not look dangerous at first.