[Jd]

One potentially but as of yet unmentioned aspect is the "game thing" itself. The fact that he refers to this as a "game," indicates that by means of some conspiracy theory site or other, he was more or less interacting with others in competitive harassment.

Take the following potential scenario:

  Impressionable youth joins conspiracy site, finds lots of anti-semitic information. 
  The youths of the forum are encourage to pick a Jew and harass them, recording both their creations (i.e. a plastic container filled with ashes), and the responses of the person they are harassing.
  Within the context of a game this harassment can immediately seem quite harmless. I am actually not thinking much about the person who is on the receiving end of my "prank" anymore, I am simply thinking of the optimal reaction I can get from my "innovative" creation in the harassment sector. 

  Anyways, easy to see how something like this could get out of hand. Very out of hand in this case.

[reledi]

My thoughts as well. It was likely too difficult or embarrassing for him to reveal his true motivations and intentions in front of his family and his victim. Leo should have dug deeper.