The FBI has launched a nationwide investigation into “764,” a neo-Nazi sextortion ring blackmailing teenagers into creating explicit videos and engaging in self-harm through popular platforms like Discord and Roblox.
Key Takeaways
- The FBI has opened over 250 investigations into “764,” a violent online network targeting children as young as nine years old.
- The group combines neo-Nazi ideology with Satanism to manipulate victims into creating explicit content, self-harm, and even animal cruelty.
- Founded in 2020 by Bradley Cadenhead (now serving an 80-year sentence), the network has spread globally with cases in every FBI field office across the United States.
- At least 15 people have been arrested on charges related to “764” activities, including recent arrests of suspected members Prasan Nepal and Leonidas Varagiannis.
- The FBI’s Counterterrorism Division is leading investigations, classifying the group’s activities as a form of domestic terrorism.
A Dangerous Online Network Targeting Children
The FBI has identified “764” as a coordinated network of extremists operating across popular online platforms frequented by teenagers. The group specifically targets vulnerable youth on Discord and Roblox, platforms with millions of young users. After establishing contact, members manipulate victims into sharing compromising content, which is then used as blackmail to force increasingly degrading and violent acts. The FBI became aware of the network in 2021 following an arrest in Queens on gun charges, but investigations have revealed the group’s activities stretch back to its founding in 2020.
“764 is a network of nihilistic violent extremists … seeking to destroy civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, which often include minors,” the FBI said.
Extreme Ideologies and Disturbing Tactics
The organization has direct connections to the Order of Nine Angles, a decentralized Satanic neo-Nazi group. Members gain status within “764” by demonstrating increasingly violent acts and by recruiting new victims. The FBI reports that victims are coerced into extreme behaviors including self-mutilation, with the agency noting that victims are forced to cut symbols into their bodies. Some members host “watch parties” where multiple perpetrators gather online to collectively torment victims, creating a spectacle of cruelty that furthers their ideological goals of sowing chaos in society.
The organization glorifies mass-casualty attacks while promoting extreme ideologies. Their tactics involve sophisticated psychological manipulation, targeting children and teens who may be particularly vulnerable to online influence. FBI Assistant Director David Scott emphasized the severity of the situation, stating: “We see a lot of bad things, but this is one of the most disturbing things we’re seeing.”
ABC news is the first US mainstream media outlet to release a special investigative series on the 764 network. This video aired on ABC San Francisco tonight as the lead story! Full article in comments. pic.twitter.com/t0vNzCFoWm
— Bx (@bx_on_x) May 7, 2025
Federal Response and Growing Concern
The FBI’s Counterterrorism Division has taken the lead on investigations into “764,” treating the network’s activities as domestic terrorism. With cases open in every FBI field office across the country, federal authorities are coordinating efforts to dismantle the organization. Recent arrests include Jairo Tinajero and Jack Rocker for crimes linked to the network, as well as suspected members Prasan Nepal and Leonidas Varagiannis. A Kentucky teen associated with “764” was arrested after making a hoax bomb threat to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, causing an evacuation.
The organization has evolved into a global movement with various offshoots and subgroups, making it increasingly challenging for law enforcement to track and disrupt. Former FBI agent Stuart Kaplan highlighted the changing landscape of child exploitation: “The FBI now sees this as a national security priority. Child exploitation has moved beyond drug trafficking and sex trafficking—these bad actors can sit in a foreign territory, miles away, and use children here on U.S. soil to carry out nefarious acts.”
Protecting Children Online
Law enforcement officials are urging parents to actively monitor their children’s online activities and to watch for signs of distress, withdrawal, or self-harm. Platform companies including Discord and Roblox have stated they are working to provide safer online environments and are cooperating with law enforcement investigations. The FBI’s Jim Marshall emphasized the importance of community vigilance: “The FBI is determined to identify and stop members of these networks who are targeting children and other vulnerable populations. We need the help of parents, teachers, and others who may become aware that a child is in danger.”
