Russia opens investigation into ‘Empire of Geese,’ the anime-and-gaming community whose creators allegedly locked children’s computers with ransomware and then demanded nude photos to unlock them

Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed on July 10 that its offices in the Moscow and Sverdlovsk regions are conducting criminal investigations into “unlawful actions against teenagers.” The announcement follows media reports that the creators of the popular online community “Empire of Geese” had coerced teenagers into producing sexualized photos and videos.
“Empire of Geese” was founded in 2014. The project has 350,000 subscribers on YouTube and around 3,000 on Telegram. The community posts music aimed at teenagers who are fans of niche anime and video games.
Several days earlier, on July 7, Anna Levchenko, a human rights activist and leader of the “Sday Pedofila” (“Turn In a Pedophile”) movement, alleged that the creators of “Empire of Geese” had drawn underage fans into producing pornography.
According to Levchenko, group administrators targeted “insecure children who valued the community” and, under various pretexts (such as asking them to vote somewhere), sent links containing ransomware that locked access to their computers. The administrators would then promise to restore access in exchange for intimate photographs. “After that, those who complied were subjected to blackmail: refuse to send new photos and they’ll be shared online, sent to relatives and friends,” she said. Those who refused to give in to the blackmail did indeed find their photos sent to people close to them, she added.
Levchenko said the “Sday Pedofila” movement is aware of 22 victims across Russia, currently between 13 and 22 years old, the majority of them male. Some of the children, according to the activists, were subjected not only to extortion of photographs but also to actual sexual violence.
The Russian Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti reviewed accounts from victims and records of their correspondence, finding that many of the teenagers noted how easily their trust had been won, since they were genuine fans of the community.
Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League, who was contacted by activists from the “Sday Pedofila” project, said there were 24 victims across 12 regions. “The teenagers drawn into the network were required to produce around 40 intimate videos or photos for the organizers every day,” she said.
Mizulina said the community’s creators are Viktor Postnov and Alexey Kuzmin, both living in the Moscow region, and that they allegedly sold the photos and videos obtained from the children to buyers in Latvia and Estonia.
Several children had already filed complaints with law enforcement, Mizulina added. One girl in Yekaterinburg who had been subjected to sexual violence was initially turned away when she tried to file a report, with officials telling her to come back “once a case is opened in Moscow.”
Viktor Postnov, one of the creators of “Empire of Geese,” rejected the accusations in an interview with the network REN TV. He said the community’s creators do not handle moderation — the subscribers do it themselves. He laid the blame for the affair involving “all these photographs” on one such subscriber, who at one point had served as an administrator. “As soon as we learned about the situation — this was two or three years ago — we threw her out right away. We tried not to get into a confrontation with anyone and simply eased her out quietly,” he said.
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Facts Only

* Russia’s Investigative Committee is conducting criminal investigations into actions against teenagers.
* The investigation concerns the online community “Empire of Geese.”
* Anna Levchenko alleged that creators coerced underage fans into producing pornography.
* Administrators allegedly used ransomware to lock computers and demanded nude photos for release.
* Victims reported facing blackmail regarding intimate photos and videos.
* The "Sday Pedofila" movement is aware of 22 victims across Russia, aged 13 to 22, mostly male.
* Ekaterina Mizulina reported 24 victims across 12 regions who were required to produce approximately 40 intimate videos or photos daily.
* The alleged creators are Viktor Postnov and Alexey Kuzmin, residing in the Moscow region.
* The photographs and videos were allegedly sold to buyers in Latvia and Estonia.

Executive Summary

Russian investigative bodies have launched criminal investigations concerning the online community "Empire of Geese," following allegations that its creators coerced teenagers into producing sexualized content and subsequently used ransomware to demand nude photographs for unlocking access. Human rights activists allege that administrators targeted vulnerable young fans by using pretexts, such as voting requests, to distribute ransomware, promising access restoration in exchange for intimate images. Victims reported being subjected to blackmail regarding these photos and videos, with some also experiencing actual sexual violence. Authorities have reviewed accounts, noting that many teenagers indicated that trust was easily gained due to their community affiliation. The alleged perpetrators are identified as Viktor Postnov and Alexey Kuzmin, who allegedly sold the obtained material to buyers in Latvia and Estonia.

Full Take

The narrative presents a convergence of exploitation, digital coercion, and state-level attention directed toward online communities that prey on vulnerable youth. A key dynamic is the mechanism of trust—using niche community affiliation as leverage to facilitate the initial grooming. The pattern involves a layered escalation: initial digital extortion (ransomware) followed by sexual blackmail (distribution of explicit content), with reports indicating actual sexual violence was also involved, suggesting a nexus between cybercrime and severe human rights abuses. The perpetrators' defense strategy appears to involve shifting blame onto other members, attempting to decentralize responsibility away from the core leadership. This dynamic highlights how digital spaces can function as environments where perceived belonging is weaponized against individuals. The subsequent reporting by Russian authorities and human rights groups suggests that when online activities cross legal thresholds involving minors and sexual harm, external state interest becomes a significant factor in the response. The pattern suggests that perpetrators exploit ambiguity regarding platform moderation and legal accountability to operate across borders while simultaneously engaging in criminal acts. What are the mechanisms for holding digital communities accountable when they operate outside direct jurisdictional oversight? How does the framing of these acts as community-driven activities influence public perception versus legal reality?

Sentinel — Human

Confidence

The text appears to be a structured journalistic report relying on testimonial evidence, suggesting human investigative work, though it contains complex allegations typical of high-stakes reporting.

Signals Detected

Sentence length variance is varied; tone shifts between reporting and direct quotation.

Features specific, named sources (Levchenko, Mizulina) with specific allegations that anchor the narrative.

The reporting weaves together specific claims from multiple activist/official sources alongside admissions/denials from the accused, indicating a sourcing structure beyond simple aggregation.

Mentions specific legal actions (investigations) and provides named individuals/organizations involved in the reporting.

Human Indicators

The text skillfully integrates direct, high-stakes testimony from activists (Levchenko, Mizulina) with conflicting statements from the accused (Postnov), which requires complex human editorial judgment to synthesize.

The inclusion of a transparent editorial note regarding AI translation and review suggests a human organizational structure overseeing the final product.