Virginia Man to Serve 15 Years for Stalking, Possession of Child Pornography

Evan Strauss, 26, a.k.a. “Reaper” and “Kobe Deonsons,” pled guilty in November 2024 to one count of stalking and one count of possession of child pornography.

“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 internet offers young people an accessible way to find a sense of belonging. Predators like Strauss and others involved in the “Community” hide behind their screens, preying on these unsuspecting victims. This sentencing should be a reminder that if you seek to manipulate, threaten, and extort minors you cannot hide. The FBI will work with our local, state, and federal partners to find you and bring you to justice,” said Stephen Farina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.

According to court documents, on November 1, 2023, Strauss and “Minor A,” a 17-year-old girl from Wyoming, met online and began to engage in regular communication. Over the course of several months, Strauss used various interactive computer services, electronic communications services, and other systems to harass and intimidate Minor A and to place her under surveillance.

Shortly after they met, Strauss became controlling and would scream at and threaten Minor A. He discovered the victim’s home address and threatened to retaliate against her if she did not do what he asked her to do, like send him nude pictures or cut herself. For example, Strauss threatened to “swat” (i.e., to place a fictitious call to emergency services) Minor A’s house. Strauss also threatened to show up and kill her, her family, and her cat, or to have Minor A’s sisters removed from the home by social services. As proof of his sincerity, Strauss boasted that he had killed animals before. He also researched Minor A and members of her family to discover personal identifying information about them that he could use to convince Minor A that he knew enough information to cause her and her family harm.

Concerned for her family, the victim gave into Strauss’s demands. Among other things, the victim, at Strauss’s direction, carved Strauss’s online username, Reaper, into her upper thigh.

On January 24, 2024, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed Strauss while conducting a search of his residence.  Among the evidence seized as part of the search was an iPhone containing multiple videos and images of young girls who are naked and/or cutting themselves. These include pictures of Minor A with “Reaper” carved into her thigh and with other cuts on her legs, as well as a surreptitious recording that Strauss took of Minor A masturbating with a hairbrush.

Strauss also proclaimed to be an active member of a group of approximately 200 individuals known as the “Community,” and that he operated a sub-group within the Community known as “Purgatory.” According to Strauss, the Community participates in a variety of criminal activities online, including placing swatting calls, hacking, blackmailing individuals for money, and extorting women and girls to obtain explicit photos or videos of themselves and to commit acts of self-harm.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Scheff is prosecuting the case.