Twitch streamer and Hi-Rez employee arrested in child sex sting

Twitch partner Thomas “Elvine” Cheung was one of 21 men arrested for allegedly arranging to have sex with a minor.

The 32-year-old Hi-Rez Studios employee had been using dating app Whisper to talk to a 14-year-old girl. The profile was actually an undercover agent from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Cheung was charged with using a computer service “to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice” a child.

Hi-Rez Studios’ CEO Stew Chisam stated on Twitter that Cheung is no longer an employee of the company and distanced Hi-Rez from Cheung while making clear his personal stance on the news.

“As a parent, it is difficult to imagine more disturbing allegations than those laid out in the news reports,” Chisam said.

He went on to commend the GBI for the hard work that went into “Operation Interception.”

This was a months-long investigation that aimed to arrest persons who had sexually explicit conversations online before meeting up with underaged victims for sex. A press release stated that most of the men that were arrested during the Super Bowl Sunday sting had attested to traveling to meet a child for sex, and many of the conversations also included money in exchange for sexual favors.

“Operation Interception” was one of many operations underway in Georgia during Super Bowl weekend. One task force had arrested 40 people involved in sex trafficking in metro Atlanta as part of the state’s pre-game crackdown.

“Our message is simple,” said the Brookhaven Police. “If you think you’re coming to Brookhaven to meet a child for sex, you’re likely to find us instead.”

Cheung was a popular World of Warcraft streamer that could often be found at Twitch events and conferences. At the time of his arrest he had over 34,000 followers on Twitch. At Hi-Rez Studios, Cheung had been a community specialist for Smite and Paladins Strike.