Investigators reportedly served search warrants on Gab and Twitter to find out if an arrested neo-Nazi shared child abuse images on social media

Reuters

FILE PHOTO: People holding mobile phones are silhouetted against a backdrop projected with the Twitter logo

• Social media sites Gab and Twitter were handed search warrants last month after a white supremacist was arrested on suspicion of possessing child abuse images.
• A Colorado man named Wesley Gilreath - who goes by the handle 'National Satanist' - was arrested in August on suspicion of possessing over 100 such images.
• According to an extensive report on Gilreath by The Daily Beast, investigators want to find out if Gilreath shared the images with other users on Gab or Twitter.
• Gab and Twitter did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Investigators reportedly served search warrants to social media sites Gab and Twitter last month after a white supremacist was arrested on suspicion of possessing child abuse images.

According to The Daily Beast, the warrants are aimed at establishing whether or not 29-year-old Colorado man Wesley Gilreath illegally shared child abuse images with other users of the social networking sites.

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Gilreath was previously under investigation by the FBI for allegedly posting so-called "hunting guides" on how to kill Jews, Muslims and refugees. The Daily Beast says he posted as "NatSat" or "National Satanist" on both Gab and Twitter, with The "NatSat" name also referring to the Nazi party's "national socialist" full name.

Satanism is also thought to exist as a subsection of the modern-day neo-Nazi movement, with the Atomwaffen terrorist group reportedly embracing Satanist ideas.

Read more: 'You are wrong about this': Trump angered a social network popular with the far-right with his attack on bitcoin

Though Gab is smaller and lesser-known than Twitter, it bills itself as a 'free speech' alternative to mainstream social media. As a result, it has become notorious for housing racist and other far-right content. The man who killed 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018 was also thought to be a frequent poster on the site. However, Gab's terms of service state that users cannot share sexually explicit content on the site, nor can they share illegal content.

The Daily Beast adds that Gilreath simultaneously operated multiple accounts on Twitter, common among those whose accounts are deleted, and failed in an attempt to purchase a gun in May. He was interviewed by the FBI the same month, but was released without charge. Twitter's terms also explicitly forbid any law-breaking content.

Despite his persistent links to extremist movements and ideas, Gilreath was only arrested thanks to chance. After the 29-year-old left his phone on a public bus, the bus's driver noticed the phone, which was unlocked and displaying the images of child abuse.

Gab and Twitter did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.