California girl rescued from violent extremist
LOS ANGELES (NBC, KYMA) - Federal and local law enforcement rescued a girl who was lured to a California motel room by a Pennsylvania man she met online who allegedly groomed her to send him sexually explicit images and to commit self-harm, officials said Monday.
Prosecutors say 18-year-old Edward Pysher is connected to Nihilistic Violent Extremism.
The FBI says people associated with the movement prey on children, talking them into compromising sex acts and self-mutilation.
During a press conference, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli took a moment to speak directly to parents about the risks kids face online.
"You may think you know what your kids are up to on the internet, but you have no idea," Essayli expressed.
Authorities say Pysher contacted the girl through the social media platform Discord. They met in a Southern California motel room Friday, where he was arrested.
