WASHINGTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), published as received.
WASHINGTON – A complaint was unsealed today in U.S. District Court charging Zabdiel Aaron Rothschild, 26, of the District of Columbia. with Production of Child Pornography, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, Receipt of Child Pornography, and Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
According to court documents, starting in January 2025, Rothschild used the gaming and messaging application Discord to communicate with three minor victims. During the communications, Rothschild asked for and received sexually explicit videos of the minor victims. In one instance, Rothschild told a minor victim, who was only 13 at the time, that he wanted to see her engaging in specific sexual acts. The minor victim followed Rothschild’s directions and recorded herself engaging in the conduct described by Rothschild.
At various points in his conversations where he is alleged to have coerced or enticed these minor victims into engaging in illicit sexual conduct, Rothschild openly discussed the age difference and discussed numerous sexual and violent acts he would do to his minor victims. For example, Rothschild told one minor victim, “little teens belong to old men like me” and “it’s normal for kids to have a crush on older people.” In another conversation, Rothschild told a minor victim, “I have the lifelong fantasy of carving my initials into a girl,” and he told another minor victim, “I can’t wait to choke you and use your unconscious body.”
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran of the San Antonio Field Office.
This case is being investigated by the FBI's San Antonio, Washington, and San Francisco field offices. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kelley.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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