Snapchat sued in case alleging the platform is responsible for 12-year-old’s rape The family of a Missouri teenager is suing Snapchat parent company Snap, claiming the social media platform facilitated her rape as a 12-year-old. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Missouri state court, alleges that Snapchat’s features such as Quick Add and Snap Map enabled a 25-year-old named Gabriel Joel Valentin-Rios to groom and abuse the girl, referred to as J.F. The suit also names Valentin-Rios as a defendant. He recently pleaded guilty to one count of statutory rape or attempted statutory rape and one count of enticement or attempted enticement of a child, receiving an 18-year sentence. This case is part of a growing wave of lawsuits seeking to hold Snapchat accountable for sexual abuse incidents involving young users. Multiple families have previously sued the platform with similar claims, and several men have been sentenced for abusing minors they connected with on Snapchat. In 2024, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued Snap, alleging its policies and features facilitate child sexual exploitation. Snap’s rules prohibit sexual exploitation, and the company claims it uses automated and human review systems to prevent abuse and remove harmful accounts. It has also introduced features designed to limit adult strangers from contacting minors. In response to the New Mexico lawsuit, Snap told the Associated Press: “We continue to evolve our safety mechanisms and policies, from leveraging advanced technology to detect and block certain activity, to prohibiting friending from suspicious accounts, to working alongside law enforcement and government agencies.#missouri #snapchat #social_media_victims_law_center #gabriel_joel_valentinrios #new_mexico_attorney_general_ral_torrez
