Benjamin Azariah Southworth pleaded not guilty to three federal charges after his arrest at his Westlake apartment.
LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles man described by federal prosecutors as a onetime podcaster was arrested on a federal indictment accusing him of threatening to kill President Donald Trump and cyberstalking and harassing the president’s personal lawyer and members of the lawyer’s family.
Benjamin Azariah Southworth, 40, was arrested Sept. 3 at his apartment in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles. A federal grand jury had returned the three-count indictment a day earlier. Southworth is charged with one count of threats against the president, one count of cyberstalking and one count of harassing telephone calls in interstate communications. He pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Federal prosecutors allege Southworth used a website and accounts on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok from January through May to post threatening messages about Trump and encourage harassment and violence against the president. The allegations are contained in an indictment and have not been proven at trial. Southworth is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
According to the indictment, Southworth posted an Instagram video on April 7 in which he called for Trump to be executed and made a direct threat against the president. Prosecutors also allege that he posted fictional videos portraying violence against Trump. Authorities have not alleged in the public charging announcement that Southworth carried out an attack on the president.
The indictment also accuses Southworth of targeting an attorney who had served as Trump’s personal lawyer. Prosecutors said Southworth posted the attorney’s home address along with photographs of the lawyer and the residence. He also allegedly published a message describing the attorney as a traitor. Authorities said Southworth later directed abusive online and voicemail messages toward the lawyer’s son and made harassing telephone calls to the lawyer’s wife.
The Justice Department said the U.S. Secret Service and FBI are investigating the case. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department would pursue people accused of making violent threats against the president. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli also said threats against elected officials are treated as serious federal offenses.
The charges carry separate maximum prison terms if Southworth is convicted. Prosecutors said the threat-against-the-president count carries a statutory maximum of five years in federal prison, the cyberstalking count carries a maximum of five years, and the interstate telephone harassment charge carries a maximum of two years. Any sentence would ultimately be determined by a federal judge after a conviction and under applicable federal sentencing rules.
Southworth has worked as a podcaster and television presenter. News reports have identified him as a former host of a syndicated youth television program featuring Christian artists and as a host of a podcast focused on religion and sexuality. Those activities are not themselves part of the criminal charges. The federal case centers on his alleged online statements and communications described in the indictment.
Southworth remained in federal custody without bond after entering his not-guilty plea, according to local news reports. He is expected to return to federal court as the criminal case proceeds. Prosecutors had not announced a trial date in the materials reviewed, and the investigation by the FBI and Secret Service remained ongoing.
Author note: Last updated September 5, 2026.