A violent predator group has gotten the attention of the FBI after luring children into extreme behavior over the internet.
A violent extremist network known as ‘764’ has been identified as a group that engages in coercing teens into committing cruel and sexual acts after befriending them on popular online platforms. This group, classified as a nihilistic violent extremist network (NVE), preys on vulnerable individuals, particularly targeting teenagers.
‘We see a lot of bad things, but this is one of the most disturbing things we’re seeing,’ said FBI Assistant Director David Scott told ABC News.
‘They will encourage them sometimes to commit suicide, they will encourage them to do cutting, they will encourage them to harm their pets.’
The FBI has over 250 investigations into 764 underway, with every single one of the bureaus 55 field offices across the country handling a case.
Two men accused of having leadership roles in the virulent online exploitation were arrested and charged last week.
Two individuals, Leonidas Varagiannis, 21, and Prasan Nepal, 20, have been linked to a core subgroup of 764 called ‘764 Inferno.’ This subgroup specialized in employing tactics to manipulate individuals, including minors, into self-harm behaviors, according to statements from the Department of Justice.
Apart from coercive actions, Varagiannis and Nepal were also implicated in the production and dissemination of child sexual abuse material. This content was often intertwined with other violent and gory materials to form digital compilations known as “Lorebooks.”
Officials are sounding the alarm about a group called ‘764’ that targets kids online, then forces them into sexual and violent behavior
FBI Assistant Director David Scott (pictured) said the group encourages kids to commit suicide, cut themselves and harm their pets
The material was then traded among group members and treated as currency to recruit new members or maintain status within the network.
Nepal, known as ‘Trippy,’ was arrested on April 22 in North Carolina. Varagiannis, known as ‘War,’ is a U.S. citizen living in Greece. He was arrested there on April 28.
Nepal is accused of starting 764 with its Texas-based founder, Bradley Cadenhead, who is serving an 80-year-prison sentence after pleading guilty to several child pornography-related charges in 2023.
Cadenhead, who was 15 at the time, launched the online community on the social platform Discord and called it “764” after the ZIP code of where he lived, according to court documents.
The FBI warned of a sharp increase in 764 activity in a March 6 public service announcement.
764 goals include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the United States Government, the agency said.
‘These defendants are accused of orchestrating one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises we have ever encountered – a network built on terror, abuse, and the deliberate targeting of children,’ U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the network was designed ‘to exploit children and created a guide for the disgusting online content they wanted.’
Prasan Nepal (pictured), 20, was arrested last week for allegedly having a leadership role in the organization
Nepal is accused of starting 764 with Bradley Cadenhead (pictured) who is serving an 80-year-prison sentence for several child pornography-related charges
The criminal complaint filed against Varagiannis and Nepal included instructional material on how to manipulate and abuse girls.
‘In order to manipulate into one producing content in your name, you must make her feel loved to the point she does not want to let go or lose you, and that’s when you start requesting work like blood signs,’ the instructions state.
‘The best woman to target are ones that have depression or mentally ill ones.’
In one case, a 17-year-old girl from Connecticut was targeted on Roblox and Discord by a 764 member who convinced her they were a couple, reported ABC News.
Her coerced her into making graphic content, including a nude Barbie doll with ‘764’ written on it and a note written in her blood calling the man who targeted her a ‘god.’
She was even accused of helping direct a series of swatting threats to local schools, which she was eventually arrested for.
