EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ – Federal prosecutors have charged a 21-year-old man out of New Jersey with cyberstalking a minor after authorities claim the individual told a 13-year-old girl to cut herself online under the threat of being doxed.
On November 14th, the Justice Department announced the arrest of Marek Cherkaoui on charges of cyberstalking a minor. According to authorities, Cherkaoui “has a lengthy history of making online comments involving threats and advocating for and supporting violence,” with the charges stemming to his alleged interactions with a 13-year-old girl online where authorities say he “told her to cut herself.”
Prosecutors say Cherkaoui had threatened to dox the young girl when interacting online if she didn’t cut herself, which the girl reportedly did on two separate occasions. The victim reportedly blocked Cherkaoui online after the first incident and succumbed to the alleged threats at first over concerns of “how angry her parents might be had their house been doxed by strangers,” according to a report from People.
As for the second alleged cutting incident, authorities say Cherkaoui had managed to contact the young girl again online despite being initially blocked, with the suspect reportedly delivering the same threat of doxing if the girl didn’t cut herself. However, in the alleged second incident, authorities say Cherkaoui had also demanded the victim perform the self-harming act “live on camera,” to which the young girl reportedly did.
Shortly after the second incident, authorities say the victim closed down all her social media accounts in an effort to avoid being contacted by Cherkaoui. Despite having reportedly appeased the suspect’s alleged demands of self-harm, authorities claim Cherkaoui still doxed the young girl by publishing her home and school address alongside the names of her family members online.
Federal prosecutors claim the alleged actions of Cherkaoui aren’t exactly that of a disturbed individual operating alone, but rather the accused is alleged to be part of a “Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) network known as 764,” which the Justice Department announced this past October charges leveled against another alleged member of the network for producing “animal crushing” videos and other unsettling crimes.
Aside from the cyberstalking charges, authorities also claim Cherkaoui “has expressed support for mass shooters, solicited child sex abuse materials from minors, and encouraged other individuals to harm themselves.” During two separate executed search warrants of the suspect’s home, authorities reportedly recovered evidence of plans to carry out a mass casualty event with accompanying materials which could ostensibly be used to carry such an act out.
If convicted of the cyberstalking charge, Cherkaoui could face up to ten years in federal prison alongside fines of up to $250,000.
On November 14th, the Justice Department announced the arrest of Marek Cherkaoui on charges of cyberstalking a minor. According to authorities, Cherkaoui “has a lengthy history of making online comments involving threats and advocating for and supporting violence,” with the charges stemming to his alleged interactions with a 13-year-old girl online where authorities say he “told her to cut herself.”
Prosecutors say Cherkaoui had threatened to dox the young girl when interacting online if she didn’t cut herself, which the girl reportedly did on two separate occasions. The victim reportedly blocked Cherkaoui online after the first incident and succumbed to the alleged threats at first over concerns of “how angry her parents might be had their house been doxed by strangers,” according to a report from People.
As for the second alleged cutting incident, authorities say Cherkaoui had managed to contact the young girl again online despite being initially blocked, with the suspect reportedly delivering the same threat of doxing if the girl didn’t cut herself. However, in the alleged second incident, authorities say Cherkaoui had also demanded the victim perform the self-harming act “live on camera,” to which the young girl reportedly did.
Shortly after the second incident, authorities say the victim closed down all her social media accounts in an effort to avoid being contacted by Cherkaoui. Despite having reportedly appeased the suspect’s alleged demands of self-harm, authorities claim Cherkaoui still doxed the young girl by publishing her home and school address alongside the names of her family members online.
Federal prosecutors claim the alleged actions of Cherkaoui aren’t exactly that of a disturbed individual operating alone, but rather the accused is alleged to be part of a “Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) network known as 764,” which the Justice Department announced this past October charges leveled against another alleged member of the network for producing “animal crushing” videos and other unsettling crimes.
Aside from the cyberstalking charges, authorities also claim Cherkaoui “has expressed support for mass shooters, solicited child sex abuse materials from minors, and encouraged other individuals to harm themselves.” During two separate executed search warrants of the suspect’s home, authorities reportedly recovered evidence of plans to carry out a mass casualty event with accompanying materials which could ostensibly be used to carry such an act out.
If convicted of the cyberstalking charge, Cherkaoui could face up to ten years in federal prison alongside fines of up to $250,000.
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