Kyle William Spitze, 24, of Friendsville, Tennessee, who was known as "criminal" on the Cult 764 network, was indicted on federal child pornography charges in March 2024. Spitze garnered notoriety in 2023 for a video of his stepfather shooting him in the ear during an altercation. In December 2024, he pled guilty to four of the eight crimes he was charged for. He faces 30 years in prison and lifetime supervised release. Kyle Spitze is scheduled for a federal court appearance on accusations that he induced a young girl to cut herself and take naked images. Spitze, who acquired social media attention for filming his own shooting, shared a video of Jeffrey Scott West shooting him in August 2023. West was shot as Spitze approached him, documenting the exchange. Spitze lived, but West shot himself after refusing to cooperate with investigators. Melanie Spitze, Spitze's mother, is also seen in the video attempting to diffuse the situation. Spitze's mother was discovered deceased at a motel in Cedar Bluff on January 28. The FBI obtained a search order for Spitze's mobile phone in February, and they discovered sexually explicit information involving a kid. The FBI also discovered the social media app Telegram on Spitze's phone, as well as chats between Spitze and the juvenile portrayed in the sexually explicit material. Spitze is suspected of disseminating the minor's information on his Telegram account on January 19, one day after giving the Law and Crime interview.
Kyle Spitze. Autographed Postcard, Signed. Handwritten, 4 × 6. December 20, 2024. Jacksonville, FL.
Kyle Spitze, a 24-year-old man from Blount County, Kentucky, is set for a federal court hearing on charges that he enticed a young girl to cut herself and take nude photos. Spitze, who gained social media notoriety for recording his own shooting, has been held in a Laurel County, Kentucky, jail as a federal detainee. Federal court records suggest there are other suspects and possibly other victims in an investigation that has taken authorities to the darker corners of the internet.
In January, Spitze posted a video on social media he took of Jeffrey Scott West shooting him. It drew thousands of views on Twitter. West shot Spitze as Spitze walked toward him filming the encounter on Aug. 25, 2023, during an argument at the home they shared on Quarry Hollow Road. After Blount County deputies arrived at the home, West holed up and refused to cooperate. A SWAT team tried to negotiate with him; he turned the pistol on himself instead and died, according to authorities.
Police records obtained by WBIR show that Blount County Sheriff’s Office Detective Joe McCarter interviewed Spitze at the University of Tennessee Medical Center around 9:30 p.m. the day of the shooting. Spitze showed McCarter a video on his cellphone that he had recorded of the shooting, which showed Spitze's point of view, West coming into his bedroom and talking about blowing his brains out. Authorities haven't said why West pulled the gun on Spitze. Spitze then walks away and Spitze walks into the hallway and verbally confronts West. At which point West points the gun at Spitze and pulls the trigger, firing a single shot.
Later in the report, no charges were filed in the case because West died. West's death was officially ruled a suicide in November. Spitze's mother, Melanie Spitze, also could be seen in the video trying to talk to West and defuse the situation. On Jan. 18, Spitze spoke to the Law and Crime Network about the viral video.
Ten days after his chat with Law and Crime, Melanie Spitze was found dead at a hotel in Cedar Bluff on Jan. 28. An autopsy report shows the Medical Examiner's Office determined her death was not a homicide, and that she had fatal levels of fentanyl and pre-existing health conditions as contributing factors. Multiple syringes, pipes, and cut straws were found in the room.
The FBI requested a search warrant for Spitze's cell phone in February. Once authorities seized the phone, they found sexually explicit material involving a minor, and that metadata on one of the videos of this minor contained information proving the minor is located out of Tennessee. The FBI also found the social media app Telegram on Spitze's phone, along with messages between Spitze and the minor depicted in the sexually explicit content.
Spitze is accused of distributing the minor's information on his Telegram account on Jan. 19, one day after he did the interview on the Law and Crime network. When the FBI interviewed the minor about a month later, the minor said she was 12 years old when the images were taken, and that Spitze told her to do it. The minor also told the FBI Spitze “demanded” her send self-harm images and videos of her on several occasions.
The 764 cult is known for it’s interest in infant murder and sexual assault, child mutilation, torture, death and human self-mutilation.
Spitze has yet to be indicted and is currently being held as a federal detainee in Laurel County, Kentucky. The FBI declined to comment on Spitze's case, citing ongoing prosecution.
VIDEO: New allegations: Blount County man beheaded chickens, posted recordings of animal killings online | https://youtu.be/BtQ8etMu7HY
VIDEO: The Strange Case Of Kyle Spitze and Cult 764 | https://youtu.be/9t238S7wWc4
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