A Texas man already serving decades in prison for prior child sex offenses has admitted to orchestrating a disturbing international online network targeting minors, federal authorities said.
Kaleb Christopher Merritt, 26, pleaded guilty this week to leading the operation, which prosecutors allege coerced children into producing sexual abuse material and engaging in self-harm, even while Merritt was in federal custody in Los Angeles.
Merritt is currently serving a 33-year prison sentence in Virginia for previous child abuse crimes.
Investigators say he directed the group’s activities from behind bars, exploiting online platforms to manipulate vulnerable victims.
Officials warned that digital communication can allow offenders to continue criminal operations even while incarcerated.
The network, linked to the extremist group CVLT, reportedly promoted neo-Nazism, nihilism, and pedophilia while grooming minors.
Victims were pressured into degrading acts, including self-harm and repeating racial slurs, prosecutors said, according to ABC7.
Federal authorities described CVLT as a coordinated enterprise targeting children across U.S. and international borders.
“This guilty plea exposes the depravity of CVLT, a criminal enterprise that systematically targeted vulnerable children, coerced them into producing abuse material, and threatened to destroy their lives if they resisted,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a statement.
Merritt maintained central control over the group’s operations even while under federal supervision.
Merritt is one of four individuals identified as leaders of the network.
Co-defendants Collin John Thomas Walker, 24, of Bridgeton, New Jersey, and Clint Jordan Lopaka Nahooikaika Borge, 41, of Pahoa, Hawaii, have already pleaded guilty.
Another suspect, Rohan Sandeep Rane, 28, of Antibes, France, remains in custody awaiting extradition.
Prosecutors said the operation spanned multiple U.S. counties, including Los Angeles and San Bernardino, and included international participants.
The case also links Merritt to a 2021 abduction in Virginia.
According to the Chatham Star Tribune, police reports and an AMBER Alert indicate he lured 12-year-old Allie Michelle Broadaway through Instagram and convinced her to leave her home.
Authorities coordinated across state lines, locating Merritt in Henderson, North Carolina, and safely recovering the child.
The investigation was conducted under the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Project Safe Childhood initiative, a nationwide effort to combat online child exploitation.
Homeland Security Investigations and international partners, including France’s Police Nationale, the U.K.’s National Crime Agency, New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs, and Europol, assisted in dismantling the network, according to the DOJ.
Assistant United States Attorney Kellye Ng, along with DOJ trial attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly, led the prosecution, relying on digital evidence and victim reports to secure convictions.
Authorities emphasized that online platforms remain a prime target for predators, highlighting the need for vigilance and collaboration.
“Protecting our youth is paramount. Our office will continue its effort to aggressively prosecute and incarcerate dangerous predators,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally said.
The case underscores the persistent threat digital platforms pose to minors and the importance of coordinated domestic and international law enforcement in holding offenders accountable.
