A 33-year-old individual, identified as Eddie Manuel Nunez Santos, engaged in a troubling online deception wherein he masqueraded as a 15-year-old boy to solicit explicit images from teenagers residing in the United States. Regrettably, when these young girls declined his inappropriate requests or terminated their communication with him, Eddie resorted to making distressing bomb threats against various institutions, including synagogues, airports, and hospitals.
Eddie's duplicitous online persona involved soliciting explicit content from teenagers in the United States, as detailed in a report by The Independent. However, when these young girls resisted his advances or cut ties with him, he allegedly escalated the situation by menacingly threatening to bomb their educational institutions or harm them physically.
Eddie reportedly sent over 150 bomb threats to a wide range of targets, spanning from school districts and places of worship to airports, healthcare facilities, and even a shopping mall. These threats were made over a period of time between September 15 and 21, causing significant disruptions across multiple states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Arizona, and Alaska. The consequences were severe, including evacuations of numerous schoolchildren, lockdowns of medical facilities, and delays in air travel, all of which placed considerable strain on the affected communities.
Peruvian authorities in Lima took Eddie Manuel Nunez Santos into custody on Tuesday, marking a critical development in this case. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams expressed deep concern about the impact of these threats, emphasizing that they diverted essential law enforcement and public safety resources while instilling fear within countless communities.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith echoed these sentiments, condemning actions that waste law enforcement resources, jeopardize the safety of first responders, and victimize vulnerable children. He underscored the FBI's unwavering commitment to apprehending individuals who seek to instigate fear within communities, regardless of their geographical location.
The bomb threats were transmitted through various means, including email and online contact forms, and displayed a recurring pattern of language. For instance, one of the messages contained a chilling statement: "I placed multiple bombs in all of the schools of your School Districts. The bombs will blow up in a few hours. I'll gladly smile when your families are crying because of your deaths."
These threats often included references to specific phone numbers or IP addresses, which investigators were able to trace back to teenage girls who had previously engaged in online conversations with a man using the alias "Lucas."
Eddie Manuel Nunez Santos now faces a multitude of charges, including transmitting threatening interstate communication, conveying false information and hoaxes, attempting to sexually exploit a child, attempting to coerce and entice a minor, and attempting to receive child pornography. The legal proceedings will shed further light on the extent of his actions and the consequences he must face for his alarming behavior.
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