FBI arrests man luring boys for sexual acts on Fortnite

An Ohio-based man named Nicholas Ranieri has been arrested by the FBI after reportedly buying young players games and gaming items in return for sexual acts through Zoom.

Despite Fortnite arguably peaking between 2017-2019, when it first launched, the Battle Royale has still proven to be one of the most popular games over the years. The game lets players compete and play with the other 300 million users across the globe.

Due to the large number of players, you never know who your next opponent will be, which can be both exciting and intimidating. In August 2023, Twitch banned Fortnite streamer HydraSZN after he made some questionable jokes about being a predator while playing the game.

Now, the FBI has revealed they arrested a 27-year-old player from Minford, Ohio after he reportedly offered young players to send them games and gaming items if they performed sexual acts for him.

Man arrested for child pornography on young Fortnite players

The Sheriff of Scioto County in Ohio said in a statement to local media that his office was contacted by the FBI, who were investigating a case involving 27-year-old Nicholas Ranieri, Scioto County Daily News reports.

According to investigators, Ranieri was targeting underage males by playing Fortnite and other online games. He would reportedly offer to buy the boys games and gaming items if they performed sexual acts via Zoom, and watched him do the same.

Scioto County SVU worked with the FBI to identify the out-of-state victim and then served a search warrant at Ranieri’s home, where detectives seized gaming systems, computers, and cell phones.

Nicholas Ranieri was subsequently arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including pandering obscenity involving a minor and disseminating material harmful to a juvenile.

He is currently being held on a $125,000 bond in the Scioto County Jail. The investigation, the sheriff’s office said, is still ongoing and could result in additional charges.