Texas Man Admits Role in Online Neo-Nazi Group That Exploited Children Worldwide
Los Angeles, Calif.— A Texas man already serving a lengthy prison sentence for rape pleaded guilty Thursday to leading an online neo-Nazi group that coerced minors into creating and sharing child sexual abuse material, federal prosecutors announced.
Kaleb Christopher Merritt, 26, of Spring, Texas — known online as “eTerror” — admitted to one count of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise operating under the name CVLT, a web-based network that federal officials described as “a criminal enterprise dedicated to the online sexual exploitation of children.” Merritt entered his plea in the Central District of California while in federal custody in Los Angeles.
Prosecutors say CVLT, pronounced “cult,” was an extremist online group that combined neo-Nazi ideology with sadistic sexual violence, targeting vulnerable children—mostly girls—for manipulation, abuse, and control. The organization’s members allegedly encouraged victims to harm themselves and share images of their own exploitation. Merritt and other group leaders used encrypted platforms to coerce at least five minors into producing sexually explicit content and self-harm videos.
“This guilty plea exposes the depravity of CVLT, a criminal enterprise that systematically targeted vulnerable children, coerced them into producing abuse material, and threatened to destroy their lives if they resisted,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.
Prosecutors described Merritt as one of the group’s core organizers who helped manage CVLT’s structure, control access to its servers, and direct participating members and victims. Other alleged members include Clint Jordan Lopaka Nahooikaika Borge, 42, of Hawaii; Rohan Rane, 29; and Collin John Thomas Walker, 24, of New Jersey. Borge and Walker pleaded guilty late last year, while Rane remains in custody in France pending extradition.
According to court documents, CVLT operated as both an extremist subculture and a child exploitation ring, merging fascist and nihilist propaganda with violent pornography. Group members circulated materials featuring Nazi symbols and themes while attempting to recruit what they called an “army of sadist followers.”
“Going after dangerous pedophiles is one of the top priorities of our office,” said Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. “The only way to keep the public safe is to lock him up in prison for as long as possible, and that’s exactly what we will fight for at sentencing.”
Merritt faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and up to life in federal prison when sentenced Jan. 7, 2027. He is already serving a 33-year sentence in Virginia for unrelated offenses.
Six Charged in Alleged Antisemitic Hate Crime and Cover-Up in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pa.— A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has indicted six men from the greater Pittsburgh area on hate crime and obstruction of justice charges stemming from an alleged antisemitic attack on a Jewish man in the city’s Oakland neighborhood in 2024.
The seven-count indictment, unsealed Monday, accuses Muhammed Koc, 27, of Pittsburgh; Omar Alshmari, 28, and Abraham Choudhry, 22, both of Monroeville; Emirhan Arslan, 24, of McKees Rocks; Ali Alkhaleel, 19, of Pittsburgh; and Adeel Piracha, 22, of Murrysville, of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and conspiring to obstruct justice.
Prosecutors allege the defendants harassed and assaulted the victim in the early hours of Sept. 27, 2024, after spotting his Star of David necklace, then falsely aligned their stories when questioned by federal investigators.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the Justice Department would pursue the case “to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This Department of Justice will always protect the First Amendment right to worship freely and without fear for Jewish Americans and all Americans of faith,” Bondi said.
According to the indictment, Koc and Alshmari physically attacked the victim after a confrontation filled with antisemitic remarks, leaving him with a split lip, headaches, and other injuries. The others allegedly helped cover up the assault afterward, coordinating through text messages and social media to fabricate accounts for a federal grand jury.
U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania said the case reflects both violent prejudice and an alleged conspiracy to mislead investigators.
“As alleged, this incident began with two defendants physically attacking an individual because of the victim’s Jewish identity,” Rivetti said. “Then, these defendants corruptly colluded with one another to provide false and misleading testimony before a federal grand jury… it will not be tolerated.”
Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office said that violence rooted in religious hatred “is unacceptable in American society,” adding that federal and local partners “stand committed to protecting all faith communities from acts of hatred and intimidation.”
Investigators say that after the assault, several of the defendants discussed their involvement online. In one exchange, Alshmari reportedly identified himself and Koc as suspects listed in a University of Pittsburgh crime alert. Despite these admissions, prosecutors allege, the group later conspired to lie under oath — denying that the attack was religiously motivated or that they had coordinated their testimony.
If convicted, the defendants each face up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 on the hate crime and obstruction counts. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum of five years. Under federal sentencing guidelines, actual penalties would depend on the circumstances and criminal history of each defendant.
Officials emphasized that an indictment is an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Note: Read the full Indictment here.
