Member of the Patriot Front pleads guilty to child pornography in Utah and faces 30 years in prison
A member of the far-right group Patriot Front has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges following his arrest during a protest last year.
Jared Boyce, 28, faces 30 years behind bars after confessing to nine felonies of sexual exploitation of a minor and sending a photo of his genitals to a 16-year-old girl.
The pedophile was one of 31 Patriot Front members arrested last year on their way to intercepting a gay pride event in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
After his arrest, an FBI search of his phone revealed a slew of disturbing images, reportedly leading him to confess to the crimes to investigators.
Patriot Front member Jared Boyce (pictured) faces 30 years behind bars after confessing to nine felonies of sexual exploitation of a minor and sending a photo of his genitals to a 16-year-old girl
Boyce was arrested when members of the Patriot Front attempted to storm a gay pride event in June 2022.
Dressed in the usual Patriot Front outfit of tan pants, navy shirt and white mask, the men were seen in riot gear in a rented U-Haul truck before their arrest.
Police say the group had plans to incite violence at the event, and footage of the large-scale arrest shows dozens of men wearing shirts reading “reclaim America.”
They were joined by several other far-right extremist factions as they gathered to accuse the LGBTQ group of being “groomers” and spark a riot.
But thanks to a tip from the public, police were able to intercept them before they reached the event, and Boyce was taken into custody along with three dozen others.
He has been in the Utah County Jail since March 10 and faces additional criminal conspiracy charges related to his involvement in the Idaho Pride event.
More than 30 Patriot Front members, including Boyce (above left), were arrested after plotting to riot outside a gay pride event in 2022
The extremists were arrested last year when they tried to sue an Idaho gay pride event
The Patriot Front has made headlines in recent years after routinely arriving unannounced at events across the country with the intent to cause chaos.
At the Pride event riot, police seized a number of the group’s weapons, including at least one smoke grenade, a collection of various shields and shin guards, and documents containing the group’s “plan of operations,” found by officers in the U-pull.
The Patriot Front was founded in 2017 by Thomas Ryan Rousseau, who was also arrested along with Boyce.
Cited as one of the largest producers of white supremacist propaganda, the group was founded by Rousseau in the aftermath of the infamous 2017 white nationalist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Members base their beliefs on an extremist ideology that since their white ancestors conquered America, the land should be left exclusively to them. On its website, the group says its activism is fueled by a belief that “America will be untied by tyrannical rule.”
Members of the Patriot Front march along the National Mall in Washington DC on May 13, 2023
The white nationalists were heard singing “Life, Liberty and Victory”
The extremist group previously descended on Boston to protest SatanCon, pictured April 29, 2023
A leader of the group previously stated on a podcast in July 2022 that the organization’s goal is to “make the men who will make the nation.”
“We are creating an organization that can become a legitimate body of regulatory power… our ideology demands that we stand up for something,” he added.
Members routinely place graffiti and stickers on buildings across the country, and it claims Massachusetts and Texas are the most affected regions.
The group regularly joins other protest groups unannounced and reportedly tries to avoid counter-protests by holding events without permits or outside press.
They have made several headlines in recent months, including an impending march to the Capitol in Washington DC.
The extremists were escorted by police along the National Mall as they chanted the movement’s slogan, “Life, Freedom, and Victory.”
In a video posted to Telegram, a Patriot Front member leaving the march said it was a “good demonstration” and that the militants “remained firm and in formation.”
“Simply put, we’ll be back,” he added in a chilling warning.
The mask-wearing extremists also sparked anger when they attempted to disrupt SatanCon in April.
Billed as “the largest Satanic rally in history,” members of the Patriot Front were seen brandishing crucifixes as they confronted the Satanists.