An 18-year-old man from Pennsylvania was arrested over the weekend and faces federal charges for allegedly grooming a 13-year-old girl online and sharing explicit images, including some showing severe self-harm, authorities reported on Monday.
The man, Matthew Edward Pysher, has been described by officials as a “sadistic” predator with beliefs linked to nihilistic violent extremism (NVE) and associated with an online “gore” group known as 764. This group is characterized by its disdain for society and encourages self-harm, sexual exploitation, and violence against children.
Pysher was taken into custody late Friday after reportedly abusing a girl during a meeting at a motel in California’s Santa Clarita Valley, as noted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
“This individual is among a disturbing number of nihilistic violent extremists who target children, manipulating them into sexual acts and acts of self-harm,” said Akil Davis, deputy director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.
Authorities stated that Pysher had been in an online relationship with the victim for at least three months before his arrest on February 20. He had traveled to Los Angeles, where he met the girl near her home and took her to a motel in Castaic.
During the arrest, law enforcement found condoms, knives, lubricant, razor blades, bloody tissues, and a boarding pass for a flight to Los Angeles in his possession. A Faraday bag, typically used to block electronic signals, was also discovered near his phone.
The FBI reported that Pysher allegedly had sexual relations with the girl and used a knife to inflict injuries on her.
The Department of Justice stated that law enforcement was able to apprehend Pysher after the victim’s mother reached out to the FBI on February 10. She expressed concerns that her daughter was being encouraged to harm herself, noting her interactions with a person named “Matthew” on a Discord server populated by individuals dealing with mental health issues.
Evidence collected during the investigation suggested that the daughter had sent images of herself inflicting deep cuts on her body.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna praised the swift action of law enforcement and the victim’s mother, noting, “Thanks to their coordinated efforts, this young victim was safely rescued, preventing further harm.”
Investigations into Pysher’s online connections reveal potential ties to the NVE ideology, where members often use social media to target minors for the distribution of child sexual abuse materials and promote violent acts.
According to the Department of Justice, many victims are threatened by NVE members to comply with demands that can lead to self-harm, sexual acts, animal abuse, or even severe violence.
The ideology of NVE is primarily rooted in a “hatred of society,” aiming to incite chaos, destruction, and social unrest.
Friday’s arrests are part of a larger initiative by the FBI to combat online crimes against children. The FBI recently reported significant increases in arrests related to NVE and defined networks, with a staggering rise in activity from 2024 to 2025, including a 490% increase in NVE-related arrests and the removal of millions of harmful accounts from the dark web.
“The rise of online threats to children is an urgent issue often overlooked,” said FBI Director Kash Patel, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance in protecting young individuals from such predators.
