Peters Township High School senior charged with running criminal network to abuse, exploit minors
Peters Township High School senior charged with establishing criminal network to exploit and abuse minors
The Peter’s Township High School senior was recently arrested and charged with operating a criminal ring involving “catfishing” and “sextortion.”
Zachariah Meyers, 18, reportedly the president of the senior class and a Peter’s Township athlete, is accused of sexually abusing and abusing more than 20 underage victims.
Channel 11’s Cara Sapida was the only reporter in the courtroom Friday when Meyers appeared before the judge.
Sapida reported that the teenager will be held without bail because the judge called Meyers a “danger to society.”
We will share the last minute details and reactions from the community on Channel 11 News starting at 18.00 this evening.
Online court records show Meyers faces more than 300 felony charges.
Peters County police first became aware of the reported crime ring on Dec. 5, according to the criminal complaint.
Officers interviewed 30 underage boys and identified at least 21 victims. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 17.
Police reported that all of the victims were victimized through social media platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok.
Police said Meyers used several different accounts that used images of other people, including a Dutch adult film performer who is not believed to be involved in the network.
The victims reportedly believed they were communicating with an attractive young woman.
Victims told police the criminal activities included soliciting nude images, producing pornographic videos and videotaping private areas of Peters Township High School.
At least 14 victims sent pornographic material of themselves, and at least one sent videos of a private area at the high school. One victim claimed she was forced to have sex with different adult men on two occasions.
Police said a victim sent multiple nude photos to Meyers. When he stopped, Meyers reportedly told him, “I need smth (sic) to keep my silence.”
That’s when police say Meyers forced her to have sex with two adult men and videotape the encounters.
One victim also secretly videotaped the Peters Township High School wrestling locker room under Meyers’ direction six different times. The videos reportedly recorded approximately ten different underage boys in various states of undress, as well as their conversations.
Police said Meyers sent one victim an explicit photo of another victim and told her to join Grindr and have sex with him.
Peters Township police said they were served multiple search warrants and court orders for social media content, which eventually led them to Meyers.
Meyers was taken into custody on Friday. Evidence from Meyers’ phone linked him to criminal activity, the complaint states.
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