A 14-year-old Florida boy has been arrested on terrorism charges in a plot to conduct a mass shooting at a church near his Wimauma home.
Jose Pagan Jr. was also charged with multiple counts of child pornography, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff’s office told WTVT that it began its investigation on January 27 after receiving information about suspected child porn at the IP address associated with the boy’s home. When they searched his home and computer, they found 14 graphic images depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.
Then, days later, the Joint Terrorism Task Force contacted the sheriff’s office, telling them that Pagan had been in an online chatroom associated with violent extremists, particularly a national neo-Nazi satanic hate group called the “Temple of Love,” which sees violence as spiritual enlightenment.
Among the evidence found at the home were pictures of the teen in shirt with the logo “NLM,” which stands for No Lives Matter, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said that they also found multiple firearms and ammunition in the home.
They did not provide details about the the alleged threat or say what church had been targeted.
Investigators said Pagan was “unbothered” during questioning and said he was trying to be “edgy.”
“Don’t let the age of this suspect diminish the seriousness of these crimes he committed,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “There’s no such thing as being a helicopter parent. There’s no such thing as over-parenting. Make sure you’re monitoring your child’s online activity — who they’re associating with and who they’re talking to.”
Pagan was charged in juvenile court with written or electronic threat to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism, unlawful use of two-way communications, and multiple child pornography counts. The state attorney will decide whether to charge him as an adult.
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[Featured image: Jose Pagan Jr/Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office]