Man Denies Extorting Minors To Make Porn, Cut Themselves For Online Extremist Group

DOWNEY, CA — A Downey man has denied accusations by federal prosecutors that he sexually exploited children online in benefit of a violent extremist group.

Dong Hwan Kim, 27, who federal prosecutors say extored children to make porn and exrort minor into cutting themselves, among other self-harming acts, pleaded guilted to one count of possession of child pornagraphy in court Thursday.

The 27-year-old was arrested last month at his home following an investigation into several complaints by underage girls accusing him of exploting them, and hls into his ties with a nihilist violent extremist group known as the 764, according to authorities.

The group is known to commit crimes in both the United States and abroad in "furtherance of political, social, or religious goals that derive primarily from a hatred of society at large and a desire to bring about its collapse by sowing indiscriminate chaos, destruction, and social instability," according to federal prosecutors.

Members of the group are known to target vulnerable people, including minors, using social media platforms to groom them into committing violent crimes.

In Kim's case, he'd convice underage girls to send him videos and pictures of themselves engaging in sexual acts, according to the United States Attorney's Office. He'd then extort the girls into sending him more, threatening to send the the videos to their families if they didn't, according to prosecutors.

Law enforcement personnel also found that the 27-year-old was running an online server where he'd trade child porn with others, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In other instances, he'd threaten the minors into self-mutilating themselves, authorities said.

Kim is due back in court on Nov. 4. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted of the crime, authorities said.

City News Service contributed to this report.