Zachariah Meyers, an 18-year-old from Pennsylvania, is facing 304 charges after police said he sexually extorted over 20 underage victims by catfishing them into believing they were communicating with someone else.”There’s a lot to pass through. It is a lengthy affidavit; the names and everything we have to figure out — there are 304 charges, which is more than most cases,” said Lisle Weaver, an attorney representing Meyers. Meyers allegedly posed as a male from Arizona, an adult film star from the Netherlands, and an unidentified female, and the victims were said to have no relation to Meyers. The victims were all underage, but Meyers was 18 years old at the time of the crimes.”The adult system is always more serious because you’re facing prison time, as opposed to juvenile court, where once you’re adjudicated, you could be placed or basically within the court jurisdiction until you’re 21,” said Weaver.Meyers reportedly forced one of his victims to record inside a gym locker room at Peters Township High School. The school district released a statement last week acknowledging the charges and confirming its full cooperation, while stating there was no safety risk to students.Authorities are urging parents to discuss online activity and the situation in general with their children. Gail Brown from Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) emphasized the importance of framing these conversations around safety concerns. “Framing it as safety. ‘I’m concerned about you.’ ‘I’m concerned about your safety,’ Brown said.Brown acknowledged the difficulty of these discussions, especially if more potential victims are involved, and encouraged parents to listen. “It’s really more about listening. Is it hard to hear things? Yes, but I think it’s about taking that deep breath and pausing and recognizing that this is hard for your child to talk about,” said Brown.Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.
MCMURRAY, Pa. —
Zachariah Meyers, an 18-year-old from Pennsylvania, is facing 304 charges after police said he sexually extorted over 20 underage victims by catfishing them into believing they were communicating with someone else.
“There’s a lot to pass through. It is a lengthy affidavit; the names and everything we have to figure out — there are 304 charges, which is more than most cases,” said Lisle Weaver, an attorney representing Meyers.
Meyers allegedly posed as a male from Arizona, an adult film star from the Netherlands, and an unidentified female, and the victims were said to have no relation to Meyers. The victims were all underage, but Meyers was 18 years old at the time of the crimes.
“The adult system is always more serious because you’re facing prison time, as opposed to juvenile court, where once you’re adjudicated, you could be placed or basically within the court jurisdiction until you’re 21,” said Weaver.
Meyers reportedly forced one of his victims to record inside a gym locker room at Peters Township High School. The school district released a statement last week acknowledging the charges and confirming its full cooperation, while stating there was no safety risk to students.
Authorities are urging parents to discuss online activity and the situation in general with their children.
Gail Brown from Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) emphasized the importance of framing these conversations around safety concerns.
“Framing it as safety. ‘I’m concerned about you.’ ‘I’m concerned about your safety,’ Brown said.
Brown acknowledged the difficulty of these discussions, especially if more potential victims are involved, and encouraged parents to listen.
“It’s really more about listening. Is it hard to hear things? Yes, but I think it’s about taking that deep breath and pausing and recognizing that this is hard for your child to talk about,” said Brown.
Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.