A Queens man and four other members of a twisted online cult terrorized and blackmailed children on gaming platforms into performing sick sexual acts on camera – then gave their terrified victims instructions on how to kill themselves, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
The five deranged men belonged to “Greggy’s Cult,” which exploited Discord, a messaging app, and gaming networks, such as Roblox and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, to prey on children as young as 11 from 2019 to 2021, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Hector Bermudez, 29, of Queens, was arrested Tuesday and arraigned in federal court.
“No child should ever be terrorized or exploited online, and no online platform should give refuge to predators,” US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
“The Department of Justice will continue to protect children, support survivors, and hold accountable anyone who preys on the vulnerable — online or offline — with every tool we have.”
Prosecutors said the accused pedophiles held video calls on the digital platforms, coercing children nationwide to perform sexually explicit acts – sometimes with household objects – which they recorded or screenshot and then circulated online or among themselves.
The suspects then forced victims to mark their bodies with cult members’ names and beg for forgiveness on video, declaring themselves “owned” to prove their loyalty, the disturbing court docs said.
The accused predators allegedly continued their disturbing scheme, urging several victims to kill themselves – including one who was told to overdose or hang themself from a ceiling fan.
The depraved cult used malware to lock minors out of their computers until they complied with the group’s twisted demands, authorities said.
The youngest victim targeted by the cult was 11 years old, according to court documents.
“This case underscores how easily predators can embed themselves in the digital platforms that minors use,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement.
“The NYPD and our federal partners have been focused on uncovering and dismantling online groups that prey on children, and today’s indictment reflects the progress of that work.”
In addition to Bermudez, the feds also indicted Zachary Dosch, 26, of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Rumaldo Valdez, 22, of Honolulu Hawaii; David Brilhante, 28, of San Diego, California; and Camden Rodriguez, 22, of Longmont, Colorado.
Valdez is already serving time on another federal case.
Each suspect is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, distribution of child pornography, access with intent to view child pornography, and conspiracy to communicate interstate threats, prosecutors said.
The FBI is urging potential victims to come forward by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
