A Pennsylvania high school student is facing more than 300 charges in connection with the exploitation of 21 minors in an alleged “catfishing” and “sextortion” scheme, according to authorities and news reports.
Zachariah Abraham Meyers, 18, is charged with hundreds of felony counts, including child sexual abuse material, trafficking in minors, unlawful contact with a minor – sexual servitude, sexual exploitation of children, and more, court records viewed by Us Weekly show.
Meyers is a senior at Peters Township High School in McMurray, located about a 20-mile drive southwest from Pittsburgh, CBS News reported.
His criminal defense attorney, Lisle T. Weaver, said in a statement to Us on Monday, February 23, that “We are reviewing the affidavit of probable cause and preparing for a preliminary hearing.”
“To comment on anything additional at this time would be inappropriate from any party involved,” Weaver wrote via email.
As part of the alleged sextortion scheme, Meyers is accused of catfishing at least 21 minors — boys from the ages of 14 to 17 — while posing as an adult film star living in the Netherlands online, according to a criminal complaint viewed by CBS News.
At least 14 teens sent sexually explicit content of themselves to Meyers while believing they were messaging an “attractive young female,” the criminal complaint says, the outlet reported.
Meyers allegedly told the minors to produce explicit photos and videos, as well as take part in “prohibited sexual acts,” according to the criminal complaint, NBC News reported.
He threatened to release sexual content involving two victims unless they paid him $500, the filing says, according to the outlet.
After one victim would not give in to Meyers’ demands for money, the teen’s sister was sent a naked photo of the victim through Instagram, the complaint says, NBC News reported.
Meyers is accused of coercing a different victim, a 15-year-old, to use “adult LGBTQ dating applications” to “engage in specific sexual acts with adult men” while posing as an adult, according to the criminal complaint viewed by the outlet.
He told the 15-year-old to record the sexual acts and also separately coerced the teen into secretly filming their high school’s wrestling team in the school’s locker room, the criminal complaint says, according to NBC News.
Members of the wrestling team were filmed six different times in videos that show them “in various [stages] of undress, including having only underwear on,” according to the criminal complaint, the outlet reported.
Meyers was arrested on Friday, February 20, after authorities served a search warrant at his home, CBS News reported.
The Peters Township School District was alerted of his arrest that same day, school officials said in a statement shared with the outlet.
“The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families remain our highest priority, and we appreciate all the efforts of the Peters Township Police in this matter,” the school district said.
Court records show that Meyers is facing 304 felony counts as of February 23.
He was denied bail on February 20 because he was “deemed a danger to the community” and a “flight risk,” according to Meyers’ criminal docket sheet.
In the courtroom on February 20, Meyers’ mother said that her son does not have a previous criminal history and that he is class president at his high school, WPXI-TV reported.
She also said he belongs to the honor society and plays for the school’s volleyball team, according to the TV station.
Meyers is due back in court for a preliminary hearing scheduled for February 27, records show.
