A man from Everett, Washington, has been arrested and charged with several federal offenses, including threats to murder a Massachusetts minor, distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and sharing videos depicting animal cruelty.
Joseph Pacheco, 23, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston. The charges include knowingly distributing child pornography to a minor, five counts of transmitting threatening communications across state lines, and possession and distribution of animal crushing videos. Pacheco was taken into custody on Wednesday morning and is expected to appear in the Western District of Washington before being transferred to federal court in Boston.
According to the indictment, Pacheco’s interactions with a minor victim in Massachusetts and his social media activity reflected views associated with Nihilistic Violent Extremists (NVEs). The indictment describes NVEs as individuals who commit crimes aiming to destabilize society by spreading chaos. These groups are alleged to use social media platforms to target minors, desensitize them to violence by undermining societal norms about violent acts, normalize the sharing of CSAM and violent content, and groom them for possible future violent actions.
The indictment details that Pacheco distributed CSAM to a minor victim and sent multiple threats over several dates:
June 1, 2025: “I will kill you if you ever leave me. I cannot live without you. You’re mine forever.”
June 6, 2025: “I have your address and I’ll commit a murder suicide.”
July 11, 2025: “Just self-harm or hit yourself to make yourself useful. I’ll f*****g rape and kill you. I know where you live.”
July 12, 2025: “After you were messaging her without telling me Don’t do it again Cause omg. If I caught you one more time I’ll swear I’ll f*****g kill you.”
July 13, 2025: “If you don’t add me back I promise you I’ll f*****g kill you Kill your whole family.”
If convicted of distributing child pornography to a minor, Pacheco faces between five years and twenty years in prison as well as up to lifetime supervised release and fines up to $250,000. Sending threatening communications could result in up to five years imprisonment per count; distributing animal crushing videos carries penalties of up to seven years imprisonment per count. Sentences are determined by federal judges according to U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI’s Boston Division; and Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier announced the arrest on Wednesday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl from the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 that coordinates efforts among federal prosecutors like U.S Attorneys’ Offices with state agencies against child exploitation crimes nationwide (more information at www.projectsafechildhood.gov/).
Authorities emphasize that all allegations are accusations only; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.