Florida teen arrested over church shooting threats and child exploitation material
A 14-year-old boy in Florida was arrested after investigators uncovered online discussions about shooting a nearby church and child pornography linked to a computer inside his home, according to officials. The teen was part of an online neo-Nazi satanic group that advocates violence.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Wednesday that deputies received information in late January from the Joint Terrorism Task Force about a possible mass shooting threat involving the teen, identified as Jose Pagan Jr.
Investigators had also received a separate tip days earlier from a child exploitation hotline reporting child pornography downloads from the same residence in Wimauma, southeast of Tampa.
Chronister said the teen was active in an online chatroom for violent extremists called Temple of Love, where he discussed shooting a church near his home. He did not identify a specific church. Authorities said two churches are located nearby and patrols were increased as a precaution.
The officials described the group Temple of Love as a nationally recognized hate group that advocates violence.
Detectives served a search warrant at the home on January 31 and determined the computer involved was used by the 14-year-old. During a cursory search, deputies found 14 extremely graphic images depicting violence against infants and toddlers. Chronister said the images were too graphic to describe.
The teen was arrested on charges including written terroristic threats and possession of child pornography involving 10 or more images, authorities said. He is charged as a juvenile.
Chronister said all of the teen’s electronic devices were seized and additional charges are expected after forensic analysis. “I firmly believe there will be additional images,” he said.
Chronister said an assault rifle and two firearms were secured inside the father’s safe, which the teen could not access, but a firearm was recovered from a nightstand that the teen could have accessed.
Investigators recovered images showing the teen dressed in black and wearing a white T-shirt bearing the letters “NLM,” which stands for “No Lives Matter.”
“Don’t let the age of this suspect diminish the seriousness of these crimes that he committed,” the sheriff added. “I’m extremely worried about this 14-year-old reintegrating into the community where our loved ones live.”
The sheriff said the teen is being held for 21 days due to the seriousness of the charges. The state attorney will decide whether to seek adult charges.
Chronister said the teen’s father was visibly upset during the arrest, while the teen appeared largely unbothered and told deputies he was trying to be “edgy.” The investigation remains ongoing.
Responding to questions, Chronister asked parents to monitor their children’s online activity, saying, “There is no such thing as overparenting.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
