A 14-year-old boy from Florida has been taken into custody on charges of terrorism in connection with a plan to carry out a mass shooting at a church located near his Wimauma residence.
Jose Pagan Jr. is also facing several charges related to child pornography, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation was initiated by the sheriff’s office on January 27 after receiving a tip about possible child pornography linked to the boy’s home IP address, as reported by WTVT. During a search of his residence and computer, authorities discovered 14 disturbing images depicting the sexual abuse of very young children.
Shortly thereafter, the Joint Terrorism Task Force informed the sheriff’s office that Pagan had been participating in an online chatroom connected to violent extremists, specifically a neo-Nazi satanic hate group known as the “Temple of Love,” which promotes violence as a form of spiritual awakening.
Among the items discovered in Pagan’s home were photographs of him wearing a shirt emblazoned with the “NLM” logo, an abbreviation for No Lives Matter, according to the sheriff’s office.
The investigation also revealed that the home contained multiple firearms and a significant amount of ammunition.
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.
