A 26-year-old man from Moneta, Evan Strauss, has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars for his involvement in stalking and possessing child pornography, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Strauss, who used online aliases such as “Reaper” and “Kobe Deonsons,” pleaded guilty in November 2024 to charges including stalking and possession of child pornography.
Court documents detail how Strauss initially connected with a 17-year-old girl from Wyoming, referred to as Minor A, through an online platform on November 1, 2023. Over several months, he used computer services, electronic communications services, and other systems to harass, intimidate, and monitor her.
Shortly after they met, Strauss became controlling and verbally abusive, making threats toward Minor A and her family. He coerced her into complying with harmful requests, including sending explicit images and self-harming acts. Strauss discovered Minor A’s home address and threatened to place fake emergency calls to her house, also known as ‘swatting.’ He also made threats of physical violence against her and her family, her cat or to have her siblings removed by social services. He even claimed prior acts of violence toward animals to bolster his threats. To prove his control, Minor A carved “Reaper,” Strauss’s online handle, into her thigh under his direction.
An FBI investigation led to the January 24, 2024, search of Strauss’s home, during which agents found an iPhone containing disturbing images and videos of young girls, including recordings of Minor A’s self-harm and private moments taken without her knowledge.
Strauss also confessed to being part of a larger online network known as the “Community,” consisting of around 200 members. He reportedly managed a subgroup called “Purgatory.” This group is known to engage in criminal conduct such as swatting, hacking, blackmail, and coercing women and girls to share explicit content or inflict self-harm.
“This sentence reflects the serious nature of these crimes and the real danger young people face in today’s online environment,” United States Attorney C. Todd Gilbert said today. “Far too often we see young people get involved in an online relationship that quickly leads to bullying, harassment, abuse, and other abhorrent and predatory behavior. However, when that behavior turns criminal, like in this case, the Department of Justice will do everything within its power to protect victims of crime and hold perpetrators accountable to the fullest extent possible.”
The FBI continues to investigate this case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Scheff leading the prosecution.