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Tennessee Man Sentenced to 77 Years for Child Exploitation and Animal Crushing Videos

Kyle Spitze, a member of the extremist group 764, was sentenced to 77 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material and abetting animal crushing videos.

2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 20, 2026, 12:52 p.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 20, 2026, 2:00 p.m. ETWritten Aug 20, 2026, 2:22 p.m. ET
Developing · checked 20h ago

This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.

We last searched for new coverage of this at Aug 19, 2026, 6:43 p.m. ET — checked 20h ago.

Kyle William Spitze, 27, of Friendsville, Tennessee, was on August 19, 2026, to for production of child sexual exploitation material, abetting the distribution of animal crushing videos, and possessing and accessing with the intent to view child sexual exploitation material, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the . Spitze, also known as "Crimhn," "," and "Criminaloli," was a member of the nihilistic violent extremist group 764 and an administrator of its network "HarmNation," the Justice Department said. Court documents state that in December 2023, the FBI began investigating tips that HarmNation members were distributing child sexual abuse material. Spitze was identified as hosting a social media channel where he uploaded images and videos of nude minor girls who had self-mutilated, with his monikers written in blood on themselves or carved into their bodies. The channel also hosted images of animal mutilation. In February 2024, a search warrant for Spitze's cellphone revealed similar images and videos, particularly of two minor victims, one of whom had written "crim" on her chest in her own blood. The minor victim later told the FBI she was threatened by Spitze to produce the images for him to upload on a separate channel. Spitze admitted to investigators that he had a terrorist motive in committing his crimes. Spitze pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child sexual exploitation material, one count of abetting the distribution of animal crushing videos, and one count of possessing and accessing with the intent to view child sexual exploitation material. He was also to supervised release for life and required to register as a sex offender. The FBI Knoxville Resident Agency investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kolman prosecuted it.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 20, 2026, 12:52 p.m. ETFirst report

    Tennessee Man Sentenced to 77 Years for Child Exploitation and Animal Crushing Videos

    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 19, 2026, Kyle William Spitze, 27, of Friendsville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 77 years in prison for production of child sexual exploitation material, abetting the distribution of animal crushing videos, and possessing and accessing with the intent to view child sexual exploitation material, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. If released, he will be subject to supervised release for life and must register as a sex offender.

    Spitze, also known as "Crimhn," "Criminal," and "Criminaloli," was a member of the NVE group 764 and an administrator of the 764 network "HarmNation," according to court documents. The FBI began investigating in December 2023 after tips that HarmNation members were distributing child sexual abuse material. Investigators found Spitze hosted a social media channel with images and videos of nude minor girls who had self-mutilated, with his monikers written in blood on themselves or carved into their bodies. A search warrant in February 2024 found similar material on his cellphone, including images of two minor victims, one of whom had written "crim" on her chest in her own blood. The victim later told the FBI she was threatened by Spitze to produce the images. Spitze admitted to investigators he had a terrorist motive.

    Spitze pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child sexual exploitation material, one count of abetting the distribution of animal crushing videos, and one count of possessing and accessing with the intent to view child sexual exploitation material. Attorney General Todd Blanche said, "The Department has pledged to take out online predator networks and today's sentence is one step toward justice for the families and children harmed by 764." FBI Director Kash Patel said, "Today's sentencing sends a strong message that this FBI and our Department of Justice partners will relentlessly hold accountable any individual who preys on children." Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg called the sentence "the longest federal sentence ever imposed on a nihilistic violent extremist." The case was investigated by the FBI Knoxville Resident Agency and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kolman, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section.

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Revision history

  1. Version 120 Aug 2026, 16:52current

    First published.

  2. Version 120 Aug 2026, 18:22current

    First published.

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