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Criminal Network Targets Kids At Home, FBI Says: What To Know About 764
Federal authorities are intensifying efforts against a disturbing online network known as "764," which they describe as a violent extremist group that targets and exploits children through social media and gaming platforms.
Two men have been charged for allegedly leading the enterprise: Leonidas Varagiannis, age 21, a US citizen living in Thessaloniki, Greece, and Prasan Nepal, age 20, of North Carolina.
Varagiannis was arrested on Monday, May 6, in Greece. Nepal was arrested Monday, April 22, in North Carolina and has since made a court appearance. Both are expected to appear in cour…
Multiple Victims, Sexual Extortion By PA Megan’s Law Violator; More Victims Sought: Police
A Penbrook man used threats, deception, and explicit recordings to sexually exploit multiple victims, authorities in Dauphin County announced on Thursday, April 18.
Skylar Addison Vandevander, 26, was arrested on Wednesday, April 17 in connection with a disturbing pattern of coercive sexual abuse, according to Penbrook police. He faces 40 charges, including:
Felony Rape by Forcible Compulsion.
Felony Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse.
Felony Sexual Extortion.
Felony Failure to Comply with Megan’s Law Requirements.
Additional Felony and Misdemeanor Offenses.
Investigators say Vandevand…
13-Year-Old Receives Nude Selfies Through Dating App: Bensalem Police
A Bensalem man is accused of sending sexually explicit messages and videos to a 13-year-old girl and arranging to meet her for a sexual encounter, police announced on Monday, April 7.
Ian Evans, 34, of Shipley Place, Philadelphia, began talking with the girl through a social media and dating app on Monday, March 4, according to Bensalem police. The conversation quickly shifted to text messaging and turned sexual within a day, officers said.
Evans sent the girl nude photos of himself, videos of him masturbating, and pornographic materials illustrating what he wanted to do with her, according…
Cyber Tip Sparks Child Porn Probe, Lands Spotsy Man Behind Bars: Sheriff
A cyber tip from a national watchdog group led to the arrest of a Virginia man who investigators say had child sexual abuse material on his devices.
Bryson Jeleniewski, 28, was busted after deputies with the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office received a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), according to a release from Major Delbert Myrick on Monday, March 25.
The tip, which came in on March 10, flagged an online account believed to be uploading, storing, and possibly sharing child sexual abuse material, authorities said.
Detectives from the Internet …
NJ Man Posed As Religious Solicitor To Meet ‘13-Year-Old’ In Bensalem: Police
A New Jersey man who used the KIK app to groom what he believed to be a 13-year-old Pennsylvania girl was caught in a police sting when he arrived at her home dressed as a religious solicitor, authorities announced on Thursday, Feb. 20.
Oscar Castillo-Peralta, 53, of Pleasantville, NJ, began chatting with the decoy account on KIK on Jan. 30, according to Bensalem police. The conversation quickly turned sexual, and Castillo-Peralta sent nude photos of himself while describing explicit acts he wanted to perform with the teen, investigators said.
Over the next few weeks, he moved the con…
German Man Who Lied About Age, Made Fake ID To Assault Lancaster Teen Sentenced
A German man who created a fake ID and lied about his age to have sex with a 15-year-old Pennsylvania girl will spend up to a decade in prison, officials announced.
Erik Weidling, 21, of Enger, Germany, was sentenced to four and a half to 10 years in state prison after pleading guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, and criminal use of a communication facility, Lancaster County prosecutors said.
Weidling met the girl online and flew to Pennsylvania in February 2024, staying…
Commercial Twp. Man Asked Second Girl For Sexual Pics, Videos On Snapchat: Prosecutors
A Commercial Township man was facing more charges after he was accused of soliciting sexual pictures and videos from a teen girl in northern Pennsylvania, authorities said.
Michael Romig, 29, was additionally charged on Monday, Dec. 23, Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said in a news release. He was arrested on Friday, Dec. 13 after facing similar accusations involving a 10-year-old girl in Ohio.
A Galeton, PA, mother contacted the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office on Thursday, Dec. 19 to report her 15-year-old daughter had been in "an online rel…
Man Who Posed As Teen, Exploiting Children Sentenced: Lancaster County DA
A Lancaster County man has been sentenced to 2.5 to 10 years in state prison after admitting to sexually exploiting juveniles online and stockpiling an enormous collection of child pornography, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced Friday, Dec. 20.
Kenneth Lee Schmidt, 46, of East Earl Township, pleaded guilty to 49 felony charges, including possession and dissemination of child pornography, solicitation of minors, and corruption of minors, prosecutors said.
Schmidt’s state sentence will run concurrently with the 35-year federal sentence he is already serving for related…
