Authorities link porn ‘personality’ to breach at Capitol

An amateur porn “personality” from Roseville, Michigan, who bragged online about participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, siege on the U.S. Capitol has been charged with several crimes related to the insurrection, according to a criminal case unsealed Tuesday.

The case against Paul Caloia, 33, shows him wearing a Detroit Red Wings hat and a white mask inside the Capitol during the siege and include screen grabs of surveillance footage of Caloia and a video he posted online showing him inside the Capitol.

The case was unsealed in federal court in Washington, D.C., one week after Caloia initially appeared in court in Detroit. He was released on $10,000 unsecured bond in a case charging him with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct; disorderly conduct and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

Caloia’s court-appointed lawyer, James Gerometta, declined comment.

Court records show the FBI received a tip on Jan. 12, 2021, that led to Caloia being identified as one of the rioters. The tip involved an “Internet pornography personality” known as God Hypnotic bragging on Skype about participating in the riots.

The tipster told investigators they interacted with God Hypnotic via email and an invitation-only chat.

A separate tipster shared photographs of Twitter user Cashhypnotic and said they believed the Twitter user resembled someone in the Capitol during the riot who had been labeled “Insider 805” by the online group Sedition Hunters.

FBI agents obtained Twitter account information that showed the registered phone number matched the number Caloia listed in a 2021 police report, according to the criminal case.

Caloia’s cellphone number is linked to other social media accounts using variations of the same nickname.

A review of the Twitter account photos and videos led the FBI to conclude that “Insider 805” is Caloia.

Paul Caloia