KUNKLETOWN, PA — Unsealed criminal records have revealed serious state and federal charges against a 20-year-old Monroe County man accused of extorting a 13-year-old boy into extreme acts of self-harm following an online encounter.
Destin Angel Petrides, of Kunkletown, faces charges including attempted first-degree murder, aiding suicide, and sexual exploitation of children.
According to a criminal affidavit unsealed by Pennsylvania State Police, Petrides initially met the victim on the online gaming platform Roblox, offering the teenager a job before transitioning the conversation to Discord. Investigators allege Petrides required the victim to send a photograph of his face and subsequently used threats of AI-generated manipulation to force the teen into transmitting explicit photographs and performing escalating acts of self-mutilation.
The alleged coercion culminated in suicide attempts by the victim after Petrides demanded he choose between suicide or carrying out a mass attack to prevent his private photos from being distributed.
The investigation originated with Canadian authorities after the victim disclosed the abuse. Canadian law enforcement relayed digital evidence to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, allowing state police investigators to trace IP address records directly to Petrides' Monroe County residence, where search warrants were executed.
Petrides is currently remanded at Lackawanna County Prison. In addition to state charges, he faces federal counts related to child sexual abuse material, with a federal trial scheduled for Jan. 4, 2027, in Wilkes-Barre.
