ST. LOUIS, MO – JUN 25, 2026 – Holland Law Firm and the Social Media Victims Law Center filed a lawsuit against Snap, Inc. in the Circuit Court of St. Charles County, Missouri, on behalf of a Missouri family whose 12-year-old daughter was groomed and sexually assaulted by a predator she met through Snapchat.
What Happened
In 2021, a 25-year-old man connected with the girl on Snapchat when she was just 11 years old. He told her he was 17. Using multiple features built into the platform, he groomed her over time, located her home, disguised his identity, and ultimately coerced her into meeting him in person, where he assaulted her.
He pleaded guilty in March to statutory rape and enticement of a child and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
The lawsuit alleges that this assault was not an isolated incident made possible by one bad actor. It was enabled by Snapchat’s deliberate product design choices. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Snapchat’s own features were used as tools of exploitation:
Snapchat’s Quick Add feature, which the lawsuit alleges was recommending strangers to users more than half the time according to Snap’s own internal research as early as 2019, allowed the 25-year-old predator to connect with the child. Snap Map, the platform’s location-sharing tool, gave him access to her home address. The platform’s Bitmoji avatar system allowed him to disguise his appearance, presenting himself as a young, friendly peer rather than an adult predator. Disappearing messages allowed him to conceal his communications. And despite Snapchat’s own policy forbidding multiple personal accounts, the platform allowed him to create a second account specifically to target additional young girls.
The lawsuit further alleges that in 2024, Snap executives were made aware of a “Sextortion Handbook” circulating on the dark web that coached predators on how to exploit Snapchat’s features to access children and that the company still has not disabled Quick Add for minors or meaningfully addressed the known dangers.
According to the complaint, law enforcement agencies report that over 80 percent of child sexual grooming cases globally involve Snapchat.
The lawsuit accuses Snap of aiding and abetting the perpetrator, product liability for defective design and failure to warn of dangers, negligence, violating the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, unjust enrichment, and invasion of privacy. The family is seeking an unspecified amount of damages.
Why This Case Matters
This lawsuit is part of a growing national reckoning over the harm social media platforms cause children. Parents across the country have filed Snapchat lawsuits alleging the company failed to warn users of foreseeable dangers, designed an unreasonably dangerous product, and failed to protect minors from exploitation. Last week, the Arkansas Attorney General filed suit against Snap over similar concerns. Also last week, a bipartisan U.S. House committee reached a deal on legislation that would enact social media protections for children.
“For too long, social media companies have hidden behind secrecy while their products expose children to preventable harm,” said Eric Holland of Holland Law Firm. “This lawsuit will help lift the veil on Snap’s choices.”
Matthew Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, echoed that sentiment. “This assault did not happen in a vacuum — it happened because Snapchat’s product design made it easy for a predator to reach and manipulate an unsuspecting child. Company executives have repeatedly failed to make the platform safe.”
MEDIA CONTACT: Eric D. Holland | Holland Law Firm: media@hollandtriallawyers.com
About Holland Law Firm
Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Holland Law Firm is a nationally recognized trial firm dedicated to representing individuals, families, and groups in complex, high-stakes litigation. With decades of courtroom experience, the firm’s attorneys have secured significant verdicts and settlements in matters involving class actions, mass torts, railroad and maritime injuries (including FELA and Jones Act claims), products liability, commercial litigation, asbestos and toxic exposures, and other catastrophic injury cases. Holland Law Firm’s seasoned trial lawyers are known for their strategic advocacy and willingness to take cases to trial, holding corporations and institutional defendants accountable nationwide. The firm represents clients across the United States, delivering results that reflect its deep commitment to justice and to the individuals and families it serves.
