Investigators have opened criminal cases in the Moscow and…
Investigators have opened criminal cases in the Moscow and Sverdlovsk regions regarding illegal actions by members of the 'Empire of Geese' sect, who are suspected of grooming more than 20 minors. A man admitted guilt and stated that his victims included over 50 children.
Consensus
- The 'Empire of Geese' was an online network that targeted minors using music and fan content as bait.
- The group operated in multiple Russian regions, including Novorossiysk, Saint Petersburg, Izhevsk, Yekaterinburg, Crimea, Tula Oblast, Mezhdurechensk, Vladimir, and Moscow Oblast.
- Participants were subjected to sexual exploitation, blackmail, and psychological coercion.
- The group used Discord for video interactions and required victims to produce explicit content.
- Victims were threatened with exposure of compromising material to family and friends.
- Leaders of the group allegedly demanded intimate photos in exchange for access to devices or financial compensation.
- Some victims were pressured into recruiting other children under threat of increased demands.
Points of divergence
- The term 'geese' refers to a pedophile sect that used the cover of a cover band, and 'pumpkins' were used as a nickname for children within the group. — tg_bazabazon
- The project was founded in 2015 by Viktor Postnov and Alexey Kuzmin, who lived in Moscow Oblast; it involved selling translated song rights or admin roles to gain trust before demanding explicit content. — vm
Coverage (2 sources)
- Pumpkins should praise the Lord of Geese — Baza
- "Empire of Geese": What is known about it, who founded it, how many children were harmed, and the response from the Investigative Committee — Вечерняя Москва