A Pennsylvania man accused of grooming a 13-year-old girl online was taken into custody in Southern California after investigators tracked him to a motel where they say he had arranged to meet her.
According to the New York Post, federal officials said the case unfolded quickly when the child left home and left a note, prompting an urgent search by law enforcement.
Agents identified the suspect, Matthew Edward Pysher, 18, and located the motel room, where both the girl and the man were found.
Authorities allege the Pysher had been communicating with the minor for more than two months in an internet chatroom and traveled from Philadelphia to Los Angeles to meet her.
“In that motel they found the victim. They found the defendant. They found a knife,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, describing the items recovered during the arrest.
Officials said additional materials were also collected from the room as part of the investigation.
Pysher was taken into custody without incident and now faces federal charges.
Prosecutors say the case began when the girl’s mother discovered concerning messages on her daughter’s phone and contacted law enforcement.
Federal investigators said Pysher used an online alias while communicating with the minor and encouraged harmful behavior, which raised alarms for both family members and authorities.
Officials also said Pysher is believed to be connected to an online network known as “764,” which they described as a violent extremist ideology that targets minors through digital platforms.
“We believe that he is associated with this nihilistic, violent extremism ideology — one of the most twisted and disturbing ideas to crawl out of the internet,” Essayli said.
The arrest is part of a broader series of investigations into online predators in the Los Angeles area.
Authorities last week detained another suspect in a separate case involving the alleged coercion of minors.
“Unfortunately, nihilistic violent extremists targeting children is on the rise nationwide,” said Akil Davis of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI is investigating more than 450 of these cases, and targeting violent online networks, one of which is referred to as 764.”
Davis said offenders are increasingly using chatrooms, video games, and social media to contact young people and urged parents to monitor their children’s devices and report suspicious activity.
“You may think you know what your kids are doing online, but you have no idea,” Essayli warned. “Any child with access to the internet is a sitting duck for these sick, deranged and demonic individuals looking to harm your children.”
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the case highlights the continuing threat posed by online predators.
“This case underscores the real and persistent threat to our children posed by online predators,” he said.
The investigation remains ongoing as prosecutors prepare to move forward with the case.
