Man with "violent extremist ideology" charged with possessing videos of child sexual abuse

A man who "adhered to a racially-motivated violent extremist ideology" and posted about mass casualty events online has been charged with possessing child sexual abuse materials, federal prosecutors announced on Wednesday. 

Twenty-year-old Aidan Harding was charged at the end of January after authorities said he had videos showing children being sexually abused. 

At a detention hearing on Feb. 12, he was ordered to be held without bond pending trial after federal prosecutors said they introduced evidence that Harding had antisemitic and violent extremist ideologies. 

Prosecutors contended Harding "presented an unacceptable danger to the community," providing evidence that he had more than 20 guns, had targeted Pittsburgh's Jewish community with antisemitic fliers and had posted online about his interest in "political and revenge driven" mass casualty events like the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue. 

Harding had been previously adjudicated delinquent for terroristic threats after he talked online about how he wanted to commit a "high kill count" attack and had videos of mass shootings, prosecutors said. He had also allegedly filmed himself re-enacting the Columbine mass shooting at a memorial honoring those victims. 

Harding could face up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both.