Feds Arrest 2 Men Tied to Violent Extremist 764 Sextortion Ring

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Federal authorities have arrested two young men, Matthew Edward Pysher and Bryant Najera Gonzalez, who they claim have ties to an infamous online sextortion network of pedophiles called 764 that engages in the coordinated grooming and coercive exploitation of vulnerable children. Pysher is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in a California motel, while Gonzalez is charged with coercing minors to create and send him child sexual abuse material.

Why it matters

The 764 sextortion ring has been described as a 'Satanic neo-Nazi cult' and a terror network by the U.S. Department of Justice, highlighting the serious threat it poses to vulnerable children. The arrests of Pysher and Gonzalez are part of the ongoing efforts by federal authorities to dismantle this nefarious criminal enterprise.

The details

Pysher, 18, is accused of traveling from Pennsylvania to meet a 13-year-old girl he's now accused of molesting in a motel room in Castaic, California. Feds said Pysher sexually assaulted the girl while brandishing a knife, and the victim told police he repeatedly cut her and choked her. Gonzalez, 24, stands accused of coercing, inducing and enticing minor girls to create and send him sexually explicit videos as well as humiliating footage of them self-harming, which he then shared online.

• On Friday, February 20, police were tipped off about Pysher after he took a flight to Los Angeles.
• Gonzalez was busted in Los Angeles on Thursday, February 19, for production of child pornography.

What’s next

Both men are being held without bond, and neither has been asked to enter a plea. Information on their defense attorneys, whether appointed or retained, was unavailable at the time of reporting.