Missouri AG calls for more safeguards on Xbox Live after ‘recurring allegations’ of sexual misconduct toward minors
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway had her eyes set on Microsoft on Tuesday afternoon, claiming the online video game service Xbox Live has had “recurring allegations” of sexual misconduct involving minors.
Hanaway in a post on social media claimed Xbox Live is being used “by predators to trade child sexual abuse material, to groom children, and to lure children to in-person meetings.”
In her post, Hanaway cited a Boone County case where a Texas man was charged in August with various child sex crimes.
Michael Moya, 33, of Austin, Texas, was charged on Aug. 26 with child enticement, misrepresenting his age while soliciting a minor, sexual misconduct involving a child younger than 15 years old and misdemeanor giving pornographic material to a minor.
Moya is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond and has a hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Court documents in previous reporting say Moya presented himself on Xbox Live as a 15-year-old and had exchanged illicit images and videos with a child victim.
Hanaway in her post claimed Xbox Live has “inadequate or easily bypassed age verification procedures,” “ineffective default settings” and safeguards regarding sending messages on the platform, poor reporting tools, a lack of “adequate information and warnings provided to minor users” and “maturity restrictions.”
A highly debated online age-verification law was signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe in July.
Hanaway also claimed there is a “lack of adequate systems” to determine if safety measures on the platform are effective.
The letter, dated Oct. 1, says Xbox has 30 days to respond.
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