Even if you’ve never heard of Michael Brutsch from Arlington, Texas, you may be aware of what he’s done to distribute sexually suggestive pictures of underage girls online. Known as Violentacrez on Reddit, his real identity was exposed by Gawker last week. Tonight in an exclusive interview on AC360°, Brutsch tells CNN’s Drew Griffin about the disturbing content he created, why he became a notorious Internet troll, and the consequences of losing anonymity.

Brutsch, 49, says moderating “Jailbait,” which he created in 2008, and other sections of the site was his way of relaxing after work, which he no longer finds necessary because he’s now out of a job. He agreed to the interview because he wants to clear up what’s been said about him. Although he posted about sexually assaulting his stepdaughter, he says he never did. He only made that up as part of his Reddit character to boost Violentacrez’s credibility as “ the king of posting porn.” He also wants to make it known that he didn’t start a section called “Creepshots,” a collection of pictures taken of unsuspecting women, but was asked to moderate.

When Anderson Cooper reported on the alarming “Jailbait” photos a year ago, the section boasted “keep a teen off the streets – put her in your van!” and welcomed ephebophiles – people who are sexually attracted to adolescents. It’s since been banned. Brutsch is linked to other offensive sections like “Rapebait,” “Incest,” and “Chokeabitch.”

“I treated Reddit like a game,” Brutsch says. “Apparently I have a gift for pushing buttons.” This is also his reasoning for posting vulgar shots of dead children he took from other sites. “It was there to outrage people. Just to make people mad, and I realize it was very childish.”

Once the instigator of rape jokes, Brutsch deleted that content and tells Griffin “I am to some degree apologizing for what I did.” But why then did he continue to publish lewd images? He calls it “addictive” and argues he was playing within the rules and working with Reddit administrators to ensure there was no child porn or nudity. Only, as he puts it, “mature teenagers with their clothes on or with their naughty bits covered.”

Regarding Reddit’s oversight, Brutsch says “they really don’t care what gets posted on there until they get bad press.” In a statement to CNN, Reddit says it “regrets not taking stronger action sooner,” and that “Mr. Brutsch was banned several times.” The company also said it “follows all the legal requirements regarding illegal content, including reporting to the proper authorities. By its nature, moderators at Reddit have complete control over the subsections they start unless they violate site rules or the law.”

Tonight, more on Brutsch’s family, and what it’s like for him no longer being able to hide behind his troll alter-ego. Watch Drew Griffin’s report at 8 and 10 p.m. ET.