Snapchat Parent Company Sued by Parents of Girl Raped Aged 12 by Man Who Groomed Her on App

The Missouri lawsuit alleges Snapchat features allowed Gabriel Joel Valentin-Rios, then 25, to connect with children and find the address of his young victim.
Snapchat Parent Company Sued by Parents of Girl Raped Aged 12 by Man Who Groomed Her on App
Photo showing the Youtube and Snapchat apps on a mobile device in New York, on Aug. 9, 2017 Richard Drew/AP Photo
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The parents of a girl who was raped as a 12-year-old by a man who groomed her through Snapchat have sued the platform’s parent company, Snap, as well as the attacker.

The lawsuit, filed in a Missouri state court on Wednesday, claims that Snap has refused to disable allegedly dangerous features in its app and has failed to warn parents about potential harms posed to child users.

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Rachel Roberts
Rachel Roberts
Author
Rachel Roberts is a London-based journalist with a background in local then national news. She focuses on health and education stories and has a particular interest in vaccines and issues impacting children.