Zachariah Myers: Peters Township student faces more than 300 charges related to ‘sextortion’ scheme of minors; 5 things to know

Zachariah Abraham Myers, an 18-year-old Pennsylvania high school student, faces more than 300 charges after an investigation into an alleged sextortion scheme targeting dozens of underage victims. Myers was arrested Friday after authorities accused him of running a massive “catfishing” and “sextortion” scheme.

Zachariah Myers: 5 things to know

1. The criminal charges Myers faces include trafficking of minors, sextortion, interception of communications, corruption of minors, child sexual abuse material, unlawful contact with a minor, sexual exploitation of a child, and criminal use of a communications facility, according to reports.
2. According to the complaint, Myers instructed the juveniles to bring and post explicit photos and videos of themselves, and also required them to “engage in prohibited sexual acts.” The victims were reportedly asked for $500 in exchange for not sharing the material. According to reports, the ages of the victims ranged between 14 and 17 years.
3. Myers is now being held without bail because he was considered a flight risk and a “danger to the community.” He is said to be in the Washington County Jail.
4. The defendant allegedly concealed his identity behind false profiles of an Arizona man, an unidentified woman, and an adult film star from the Netherlands, according to records.
5. Myers is believed to have used multiple social media platforms, including Snapchat and TikTok, to target his victims. “Zacharia Myers created numerous fake TikTok accounts using photos and videos of uninvolved individuals. Using these fake TikTok accounts, Zachariah Myers was able to trick juvenile victims into believing that it was these individuals, and not himself. After creating these fake TikTok accounts, Zachariah Myers was able to trick juvenile males into sending them explicit pornographic photos and videos of themselves.” The investigator reportedly wrote to the accused.

Myers made good on his threats. The complaint reportedly alleged that when one victim refused to pay the $500, his sister received an Instagram message containing a nude photo of the boy. According to the complaint, Myers forced a 15-year-old to pose as an adult on “LGBTQ adult dating apps” in order to “engage in certain sexual acts with adult men.” He allegedly ordered the teen to record the said acts. He is also accused of coercing a teenager to sign up for his high school wrestling team.