The family of a missing teenager from Long Island is appealing to the public for assistance in locating their son who disappeared two weeks ago after leaving school. The family believes the boy left home to meet someone he played Roblox with, a fertile hunting ground for groomers and predators.
News 12 Long Island reports that Thomas Medlin, a 15-year-old boy from the St. James area of Long Island, has been missing since January 9, 2026, prompting his family to seek public assistance in bringing him home safely. According to police reports, the teenager was last seen after departing from his school and subsequently boarding a train at the Stony Brook Long Island Rail Road station.
Authorities have traced Medlin’s movements to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, where surveillance cameras captured images of him on the same day he disappeared. Since that day, his family reports they have had no contact with him whatsoever.
In an exclusive interview with News 12, Thomas Medlin’s mother, Eva, provided additional details about the circumstances surrounding her son’s disappearance. She revealed that detectives working on the case now believe Thomas may have connected with someone online through the popular gaming platform Roblox and was potentially planning to meet this individual in New York City. Eva Medlin emphasized that this type of behavior is completely uncharacteristic of her son and does not align with his normal patterns.
The family has mounted an extensive search effort since Thomas went missing. Eva Medlin reports that family members and friends have been conducting searches almost daily, organizing multiple search parties that have covered areas across both Long Island and New York City. The coordinated efforts demonstrate the family’s determination to locate the missing teenager and bring him home safely.
Law enforcement officials have provided the family with information regarding Thomas Medlin’s last known whereabouts. Police tracking indicates that his most recent confirmed locations were in two separate areas of New York City. The first location was near the intersection of Cherry and Rutgers streets in Lower Manhattan. Subsequently, he was detected near the intersection of Sands and Jay Street in the Brooklyn borough.
The Suffolk County Police Department has taken an active role in the investigation and is requesting public assistance. Authorities have released photographs of Thomas Medlin to aid in identification efforts. The police are urging anyone who may have information about his whereabouts or who may have seen him to come forward immediately.
Roblox is facing a wave of lawsuits, many filed by state AGs, over its failure to protect children online. Breitbart News previously reported that Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti (R) called Roblox the “digital equivalent of a creepy cargo van lingering at the edge of a playground:”
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced the lawsuit on Thursday, alleging that Roblox has long prioritized profits over child safety. The suit, filed under the state’s Consumer Protection Act, claims that Roblox deceived Tennesseans about the risks its platform poses to kids.
“Roblox is the digital equivalent of a creepy cargo van lingering at the edge of a playground,” said Attorney General Skrmetti. “Roblox invites children into a fantastic online world with the promise of creativity and play, but that wonderland is a trap that lets the company sell sophisticated predators access to those vulnerable kids. Roblox worked to reduce oversight and child safety resources despite repeated warnings, because less overhead meant more profit. And the whole time, the company lied and said safety was its top priority.”
Read more at News 12 Long Island here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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