Kalana Limkin, 20, of Hilo, Hawaii, was sentenced on July 16 to 10 years in federal prison and 20 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography. United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced the sentence, which represents the statutory maximum. Limkin pleaded guilty without a plea agreement on February 13, 2025.
Limkin is identified as the co-founder and ringleader of an online violent nihilistic extremist group called ‘Cultists.’ According to information presented at sentencing, members of Cultists collaborated in activities that victimized children with the stated aim of triggering social collapse. The court heard that Limkin used the group’s digital platforms to incite children to self-mutilate, broadcast sexual acts, and film their own suicides. Cultists reportedly groomed minors by desensitizing them to graphic content and child sexual abuse material in order to encourage future violent behavior.
The case included specific accounts involving several minor victims. Prosecutors said Limkin showed one minor an image depicting abuse of a young child as part of his grooming tactics. He sent explicit images of her to others and tried to persuade her into photographing her younger siblings nude. In communications with another victim, Limkin said he targeted “the mentally unstable because they were easy to manipulate.” He also extorted a third victim using sexual abuse material in an attempt to convince her to commit suicide. In a recorded video chat referenced during sentencing proceedings, Limkin stated: “We want her to die. Yes, we do. That’s the whole point of this. I threatened to leak everything.”
United States Attorney Ken Sorenson said, “Limkin represents a growing and depraved group of violent extremists who target vulnerable juveniles online for the sick pleasure they derive from causing their young impressionable victims to commit acts of self-harm, at times even encouraging them to commit suicide… We will tirelessly pursue and charge those who weaponize the internet…” FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter added, “Limkin—and the predatory, nihilistic extremist group Cultists—utilized heinous, sadistic online exploitation tactics… The FBI and our partners will exhaust every resource…”
The FBI investigated this case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Mohammad Khatib prosecuted it with assistance from Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii upholds federal justice across all Hawaiian Islands through its main office in Honolulu with a team comprising 23 lawyers and 40 staff members; it conducts criminal investigations as well as prosecutions while representing federal interests in civil matters for approximately 1.5 million residents, according to the official website.