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A mother in North Carolina was shocked after she discovered that her seven-year-old daughter’s character had been sexually assaulted while playing Roblox .

Amber Peterson’s daughter was playing the popular game when she pointed out the graphic image to her mother.

On Facebook , Ms Peterson wrote: “Immediately, I see male private parts... exposed... and I just throw my book down, grab her screen out of her hand and shield her.

“At first, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

(Image: Getty)

“My sweet and innocent daughter’s avatar was being violently gang-raped on a playground by two males.

“A female observer approached them and proceeded to jump on her body at the end of the act.

“Then the three characters ran away, leaving my daughter’s avatar laying on her face in the middle of the playground.”

(Image: Roblox)

Despite the incident, Roblox is only rated PEGI 7 - the second most accessible rating.

Ms Peterson added: “I was in complete shock. I had no idea that this was even a remote possibility.”

Roblox says that it is ‘outraged’ by the incidnet.

In a statement, the firm said: “We were outraged to learn that Roblox's community policies and Rules of Conduct were subverted.

“We have identified how this bad actor created the offending action and are putting additional safeguards in place to reduce the possibility of this happening again in the future.

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“In addition, the offender was identified and has been permanently banned from the platform and we have suspended the game.

“We have zero tolerance for this behavior. Our work to ensure a safe platform is always evolving and remains a top priority for us.”

Parents should watch out for user created games that fall outside the ratings and do include more blood and violence than the rating suggests.

Care is also warranted about friending other players who may be strangers of any age and can communicate with children in the game.