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A 14-year-old boy from Florida has been taken into custody on terrorism charges, accused of planning a mass shooting at a church located near his residence in Wimauma.
Authorities from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office have also charged Jose Pagan Jr. with several counts of possessing child pornography, according to their official statement.
The investigation began on January 27, when the sheriff’s office received a tip about potential child pornography linked to the IP address of the boy’s home. A search of his residence and computer revealed 14 disturbing images involving the sexual abuse of very young children, as reported by WTVT.
Shortly thereafter, the Joint Terrorism Task Force informed the sheriff’s office that Pagan had participated in an online chatroom frequented by violent extremists. This group, known as the “Temple of Love,” is identified as a national neo-Nazi satanic hate group that promotes violence as a form of spiritual awakening.
Investigators also discovered images of the teenager wearing a shirt emblazoned with “NLM,” an abbreviation for No Lives Matter, according to the sheriff’s office.
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.