Federal authorities say the case reflects a growing pattern of online manipulation tied to an extremist network that targets minors.
CASTAIC, Calif. — A 13-year-old girl was rescued from a motel room in Los Angeles County after federal authorities say an 18-year-old Pennsylvania man groomed her online, traveled to California to sexually abuse her and discussed dying by suicide with her before investigators reached them.
Prosecutors say the case moved from online messages to real-world danger in roughly two months, with a family report triggering a multi-agency search that ended in Castaic. Authorities say the suspect, Matthew Edward Pysher of Bangor, Pennsylvania, used internet platforms to pressure the child into sexual acts and self-harm, then flew from Philadelphia to Los Angeles to meet her. He is charged in a federal criminal complaint with travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, a felony that can carry a prison sentence of up to 30 years.
Investigators say the relationship began in December 2025 on Discord, where the girl and Pysher encountered each other in a server described by prosecutors as focused on mental illness. After moving the conversation into private messages, authorities say, Pysher pushed the child to send sexually explicit material and images showing she had harmed herself. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the allegations describe a form of exploitation that uses fear and manipulation to isolate children, and he said the case showed how quickly online contact can become physical danger when a predator is willing to travel.
Authorities said the warning signs reached a breaking point this month. On Feb. 10, prosecutors said, the girl’s mother contacted the FBI after learning her daughter was communicating with someone she knew as “Matthew” and appeared to be encouraged to hurt herself. Investigators worked to identify the account and trace it to Pysher, officials said. The situation escalated again on Feb. 20 when relatives reported the girl had run away, and authorities intensified efforts to find her as they tracked digital clues and travel records.
Prosecutors said Pysher arrived in Southern California on Feb. 20 and met the girl near her home before taking her to a motel in Castaic. When law enforcement entered the room late Friday, officials said, they found the suspect and the girl together along with items that investigators described as evidence of planning and sexual activity. Those items included condoms, a knife, lubricant, razor blades and bloody tissues, prosecutors said, as well as a boarding pass for a flight from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. Investigators also said they found a faraday bag near the suspect’s phone, a pouch designed to block electronic signals.
The girl told investigators that she and Pysher had engaged in sexual conduct, prosecutors said, and that he used a knife to cut her repeatedly. Authorities said court records also describe discussions about dying by suicide, and one account of the planned scenario involved seeking a tall building later that day. Officials said they intervened before any such plan could be carried out. Sheriff Robert Luna said the rescue prevented a tragedy, adding that the most painful outcome would have been a death investigation instead of a recovery.
Beyond the immediate allegations, prosecutors said their review of the girl’s phone and the suspect’s online activity pointed to a broader online ecosystem that celebrates harm and targets minors. Authorities said they believe Pysher is associated with what they call nihilistic violent extremist ideology, and they described “764” as a network tied by investigators to coercion, sexual exploitation and demands that victims harm themselves. FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis said the arrest fit a pattern of cases in which young victims are pressured into escalating acts, sometimes paired with threats and blackmail to keep them compliant and silent.
Federal officials in Los Angeles said the arrest comes as investigators see more cases with similar online themes and language. In a separate case announced days earlier, prosecutors said a man from Downey was charged in a complaint alleging he coerced minors into producing sexually explicit videos that included self-harm, and authorities linked that case to the same 764 network they described in the Pennsylvania investigation. Officials said the cases show a blend of sexual exploitation and coercion that spreads through social platforms, direct messages and private servers, sometimes involving people who never meet until travel brings the abuse into the open.
Pysher was arrested late Friday and was expected to appear in federal court in downtown Los Angeles, prosecutors said. In one public court update, authorities said he was ordered held as the case proceeds, with an arraignment date set for late March. A criminal complaint contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Investigators said the inquiry is continuing as agents analyze devices, review online accounts and examine whether others helped plan or facilitate the trip.
By Tuesday, authorities said the girl was safe and the suspect remained in custody while the federal case moved forward. The next major step is expected in court as prosecutors present early evidence and the defense responds in the weeks ahead.
Author note: Last updated February 24, 2026.