‘Internet pornography personality’ arrested over Capitol riot

The FBI said witness reported ‘God Hypnotic’ bragging about participating in the January 6 insurrection

A red circle identifies the man the FBI believes is Paul Caloia in the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested an “internet pornography personality” who is accused of participating in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Agents arrested Paul Caloia, who goes by the screen name “God Hypnotic,” last week. The FBI first identified Caloia as a suspect just days after the Capitol riot, when they received a witness tip that he was “bragging” on Skype about participating in the riot, according to an affidavit.

An image of a man the FBI believes is Paul Caloia (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

The witness said the individual using the screenname “God Hypnotic” later backtracked and said he was at the Capitol “for reporting purposes” on 6 January 2021, per the affidavit.

“Witness 1 further stated that as God Hypnotic was bragging about his involvement in the January 6 riots, another individual in the chat asked God Hypnotic why he went to the Capitol. At that point, Witness 1 said that God Hypnotic backtracked and said he went to the Capitol for reporting purposes,” the FBI affidavit stated.

The agent who submitted the affidavit also said they had obtained a video believed to have been filmed by Mr Caloia inside the US Capitol.

“They came in with like, guns and s***, like ARs, and they have us face down on the ground,” he said in that video, according to the FBI.

The FBI also says the obtained video of Mr Caloia entering the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 through a broken window, the affidavit states.

More than 1,000 people have been arrested on charges related to the Capitol riots, according to the United States District Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. As of October, 561 people have been sentenced for their participation in the riots.

The Independent did not immediately receive comment from the attorney believed to be representing Mr Caloia.