Justice Dept. Alleges 2 Men Led 'One of the Most Disturbing' Child Exploitation Networks Authorities Have Ever Seen
Leonidas Varagiannis and Prasan Nepal were arrested on allegations of "operating an international child exploitation enterprise known as '764,' " authorities announced
"These defendants are accused of orchestrating one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises we have ever encountered," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said
According to media reports, the "764" has satanic and neo-Nazi ideologies, and has targeted children as young as 13 years old
The Department of Justice announced the arrest of two men who allegedly led 'one of the most disturbing online child exploitation networks' federal authorities say they have ever encountered.
According to an announcement made by the U.S. Attorney's Office on Wednesday, April 30, Leonidas Varagiannis (who is also allegedly known as 'War') and Prasan Nepal (who is also allegedly known as 'Trippy') were arrested by federal authorities on accusations of allegedly operating the group known as "764."
The Attorney's Office claims that two men 'directed, participated in, and otherwise caused the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material' and also allegedly 'facilitated the grooming, manipulation, and extortion of minors.'
Varagiannis, 21, was arrested in Thessaloniki, Greece, while Nepal, 20, was arrested in North Carolina. The two men face life in prison if convicted, according to the Justice Department.
It is not clear when the defendants are due to appear in federal court and whether they've entered a plea. PEOPLE has reached out to the Justice Department for more information.
'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,' Attorney General Bondi said in a statement. 'We will find those who exploit and abuse children, prosecute them, and dismantle every part of their operation.'
Per the Attorney's Office, Varagiannis and Nepal allegedly 'ordered their victims to commit acts of self-harm and engaged in psychological torment and extreme violence against minors.' The two men's online group had 'targeted vulnerable children online' as young as 13 years old, authorities claim.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Additionally, the two suspects were allegedly 'coercing' the children 'into producing degrading and explicit content under threat and manipulation,' with the Attorney's Office claiming 'this content includes 'cut signs' and 'blood signs' through which young girls would cut symbols into their bodies.'
Several members of the "764" have been arrested in the last year, according to Sky News, WIRED and The Times, which also reported the group's activity include the use of satanic and neo-Nazi ideologies.
The federal government alleges that the two men encouraged young members of their group to create so-called 'lorebooks,' which the group used as digital currency within their own community. According to authorities, members 'traded' the currency and used the content to 'recruit new members or maintain status' within the group. It's alleged that Varagiannis and Nepal 'set content production expectations for new recruits' of the group.
'In multiple instances, [Varagiannis and Nepal] threatened and caused their victims to engage in self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder,' the Attorney's Office said.
'The allegations in this case are not only disturbing, they are also every parent's nightmare' U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. said in a statement. 'The number of victims allegedly exploited by these defendants, and the depths of depravity are staggering. Justice demands that our response be swift in order to ensure public safety, hold the wrongdoers accountable, and bring the victims some sense of closure so they can heal.'
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Read the original article on People
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
British girl who took life was radicalised by U.S. neo-Nazis, inquest says
By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) -A British teenage girl, who had said she wanted to blow up a synagogue and became fixated with Adolf Hitler, had been sucked into far-right extremism by two American neo-Nazis, a British coroner said on Monday. Rhianan Rudd, who was 16, took her own life in May 2022 at a children's home having been investigated by police and Britain's domestic security service MI5 over extremist views. Two years earlier, Rudd's mother had referred her daughter to the counter-radicalisation scheme, Prevent. She is believed to be the youngest girl to be charged with terrorism offences in Britain after she was arrested when 14, though the case against her was later dropped. At an inquest into her death, the Chief Coroner of England and Wales Alexia Durran said she had been initially radicalised by her mother's former partner, a U.S. neo-Nazi who had convictions for violence. She was further drawn into extremism by U.S. white supremacist Chris Cook, who was jailed in 2023 for terrorism over plans to attack power grids, Durran also said. Rudd, who had autism, became obsessed with fascism, even carving a swastika into her forehead, and had downloaded material about making bombs and 3D guns, Durran said. Durran concluded that both Mallaburn and Cook were each "a significant radicalising influence on Rhianan" who had "played a material role in introducing and encouraging Rhianan's interest in extreme right-wing materials". LEARNING FROM PAIN Rudd's mother Emily Carter said she believed that the police and MI5's prolonged investigation had played a role in her daughter's death. "Whilst nothing can ever bring Rhianan back, I urge all the authorities that came into contact with her to learn from what happened so that no other family has to experience the pain we have endured," Carter said in a statement. The charges against Rudd were not dropped until August 2021, four months after social workers believed she might have been a victim of sexual exploitation. However, giving her ruling at Chesterfield Coroners' Court in central England, Durran rejected the argument that the state had played a role in her death, saying it had been appropriate to investigate and prosecute her. "I am satisfied that the missed opportunities that occurred in this case were not systemic," she said. British authorities have become very concerned about the online radicalisation of young people. MI5's Director General Ken McCallum said last year that 13% of all those they were investigating were under 18, a threefold increase in the last three years. Britain's Crown Prosecution Service offered condolences to Rudd's family. "This is a tragic case," added Nick Price, CPS director of legal services. We do not prosecute young or vulnerable people lightly. Terrorism offences are extremely serious, and these are decisions our specialist prosecutors take great care over."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Opportunities were missed to save teenage terror suspect, says coroner
There were 'missed opportunities' to save a teenage terror suspect who was groomed by a neo-Nazi before her death at a children's home, a coroner has concluded. Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard that Rhianan Rudd, who died aged 16, was charged with terrorism offences and investigated by MI5 after she downloaded a bomb-making manual, said she wanted to 'blow up' a synagogue and carved a swastika onto her forehead. It emerged that Rhianan was a victim of exploitation by a right-wing extremist, but she was pronounced dead on the morning of May 19 2022 at a children's home five months after her charges were discontinued. Concluding the inquest on Monday, chief coroner Judge Alexia Durran said the missed opportunities were 'not systemic', adding she could not be certain that Rhianan intended to take her own life. 'I'm satisfied the missed opportunities in this case are not systemic,' Ms Durran said. 'I'm not satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, Rhianan intended to take her own life. Rhianan's death … was the result of a self-inflicted act but it is not possible to ascertain her intention. 'In the circumstances, I do not consider I should make a prevention of future deaths report. 'Rhianan was known, to family and professionals, to be vulnerable, to have autistic traits and have a history of self-harm.' The coroner recorded Rhianan's cause of death as compression of the neck. She added that agencies involved with her had already made changes since she died. Rhianan's inquest, which heard evidence over four weeks in February and March, focused around the involvement of MI5, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the police, social services, NHS trusts responsible for her mental health care and the children's home where she was living. Speaking before the conclusion of the inquest, Rhianan's mother, Emily Carter, said the teenager, who was known to self harm, was a 'vulnerable child' and 'should have been treated as a victim more than anything'. Ms Carter said: 'I don't know what people thought she could do, but I don't believe that she was ever a threat. It was just what people would put in her head – brainwashed her, basically.' The teenager was 'severely impacted' by the police investigation and 'deeply scared' about going to prison as a result of being prosecuted for terrorism, and 'locked away her thoughts and feelings' about the criminal trial. Judge Durran concluded that it was 'necessary and appropriate' to investigate and prosecute Rhianan for terrorism offences. She said: 'While vulnerability is a relevant factor, a difficult balance must be struck between that vulnerability and protecting the public.' The coroner added: 'I find she was highly affected by her arrest and was concerned about being sent to prison.' It was not known what Rhianan was told by her legal team when the charges were dropped but this may have had a 'psychological impact' on her, the coroner said. Judge Durran decided that Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights was not engaged in the inquest, a decision she delayed until after she had heard all the evidence, meaning no breaches of the state's duty to protect life were identified. The inquest conclusion heard that there were missed opportunities by counter terrorism policing East Midlands (CTPEM) and Derbyshire County Council to refer Rhianan to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which identifies victims of modern slavery, earlier. Judge Durran said: 'I find, even at this early stage around November 2020, sufficient information existed for CTPEM or Derbyshire County Council to make an NRM referral.' She said the 'combination of information available' would create a 'sufficient basis' on which to identify Rhianan as a victim of modern slavery. The coroner added that it was not possible to say if Rhianan's charges would have been discontinued earlier or if it would have a 'more than minimal impact on Rhianan's death' if the NRM referral was made sooner. The coroner also found there was a missed opportunity to refer Rhianan to Nottinghamshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) when she moved to a children's home in the county. Judge Durran said: 'Derbyshire County Council was responsible for this missed opportunity to refer Rhianan to Nottinghamshire CAMHS. As a result, Rhianan was without CAMHS support for a considerable time – effectively from May 2021 to May 2022. 'I find it was a result of individual decisions or missed opportunities to make a referral in an otherwise functioning system.' The coroner said Rhianan did not have mental health support during a 'particularly challenging and difficult period', including her charges being dropped and the sessions with the deradicalisation programme Prevent. But she said it was 'too speculative' to say whether CAMHS support would have made any difference. The coroner found that Ms Carter's previous partner, who had been in prison and had a swastika tattoo, was a 'significant radicalising influence' on Rhianan. The hearing was told that Rhianan's mother made contact with an American, Dax Mallaburn, who had convictions relating to 'violent organised crime', through a write to prisoners scheme. Mr Mallaburn lived with Ms Carter from November 2017 and had 'links to white supremacist groups', the coroner said. Judge Durran said: 'I'm satisfied it's more likely than not that he played a material role in introducing and encouraging Rhianan's interest in extreme, right-wing materials.' Speaking before the conclusion of the inquest, Ms Carter said: '(Mr Mallaburn) did a lot of work in prison to be deradicalised, if you like. And so when he came out and I met him, he never showed any views.' An American neo-Nazi, whom Rhianan spoke to online and allegedly made her send explicit photos, was also a 'significant radicalising influence', the coroner found. The inquest heard that the CPS charged Rhianan without the 'full evidential picture' of her exploitation in April 2021 after she broke her bail conditions by running away from home to Sheffield. The coroner said Rhianan's placement at Bluebell House Residential Home, after she was charged, was a 'positive development' in her life and the staff 'appropriately met' her needs. Judge Durran said: 'I'm satisfied that professionals working with Rhianan were aware of her autism diagnosis. I'm entirely satisfied (staff at the children's home) were able to communicate with and support Rhianan effectively.' The inquest heard that an MI5 investigation was 'the only way to further understand the threat she might pose to national security'. MI5 investigated the girl from October 2020 until her death but had 'no indication' from intelligence gathered that she had intended to end her own life, an MI5 officer told the inquest. Judge Durran said: 'Rhianan was a talented, funny and complex young person who made a lasting impression on those around her and will be deeply missed.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Groomed terror suspect not treated as a ‘vulnerable child', says her mother
The mother of an autistic teenager who was groomed and 'brainwashed' by right-wing extremists says she was not treated as a vulnerable child before she took her own life. Rhianan Rudd, who died aged 16, had an 'obsession with Hitler', downloaded a bomb-making manual, and threatened to 'blow up' a synagogue after she was radicalised online by an American neo-Nazi. In the 18 months before she died, Rhianan was diagnosed with autism, investigated by counter-terrorism policing and MI5, and prosecuted over terrorism charges after she had been groomed and allegedly sexually exploited by extremists. Senior coroner Judge Alexia Durran concluded that she was not satisfied that Rhianan intended to end her own life at Chesterfield Coroner's Court on Monday. She said that 'missed opportunities' in Rhianan's case were 'not systemic' and she will not make a prevention of future deaths report. In an interview, Rhianan's mother, Emily Carter, said she believes the teenager's death was preventable and the agencies involved in her case need to be held accountable. Ms Carter said: 'They need to recognise that the way they dealt with things was not the correct way, because she's dead. 'I don't ever want this to happen to another family. This has been devastating. 'If I could save just one child from these people making all their changes and making sure they follow through with everything, there's justice in my eyes – my daughter didn't kill herself for no reason. 'It was just one thing after another basically, but all of them should learn from Rhianan's death, all of them.' Ms Carter said Rhianan was not treated as a vulnerable child, despite her autism diagnosis, and she does not believe her daughter was ever a threat to other people. The mother said: 'She was five foot one, weighed seven stone. She was tiny. 'I don't know what people thought she could do, but I don't believe that she was ever a threat. It was just what people would put in her head – brainwashed her, basically. 'They (the agencies) treated her as a child, but I don't believe they treated her as a vulnerable child. 'If you've got vulnerable children, you take extra steps to watch them, to look after them, to make sure they feel safe, even from themselves, and they didn't. Obviously, she's dead.' The mother said the moment 19 police officers and two detectives came to arrest her daughter at their family home was 'mind-numbing' and she felt 'violated' when officers turned her house 'upside down'. She said: 'It hurt … the fact that they thought that my daughter was some sort of massive terrorist. 'They were going to put her in handcuffs, but the handcuffs didn't go small enough. Even on the smallest ones, they just fell off her hands. That's how small she was.' The inquest heard that the police did not refer Rhianan to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which identifies victims of human trafficking or modern slavery, when they began investigating her in 2020, but the referral was made by Derbyshire County Council in April 2021. Her mother says the NRM referral should have been done 'at the very beginning' because 'they could see that she was vulnerable'. Ms Carter added that she thinks Rhianan should not have been charged, and said: 'She was a child, a vulnerable child. A child with mental health issues. 'She should have been treated as a victim more than anything.' The mother also said it 'angered' her that Rhianan was investigated by MI5 before her death and added: 'If they knew that my daughter was being groomed and sexually exploited online, and then you're investigating at that time, why did nobody come and stop it? 'Why watch a child be completely humiliated, sexualised, trafficked, brainwashed?' Speaking about her daughter's autism diagnosis, Ms Carter said Rhianan would get fixated and 'sucked into' something until it was the 'be all and end all of everything'. She said Rhianan's fixations began with My Little Pony before she became interested in German history, wanted '1940s German furniture in her bedroom', and eventually made contact with extremists on the messaging apps Telegram and Discord. Ms Carter said: 'Finding out that she'd been groomed, and the way these people talked to her … it really changed her wholeness as a person, the way she thinks, the way she feels, everything.' She said that Rhianan was a 'bubbly' girl but she became withdrawn after she was radicalised, and added that the extremists 'took away an innocent child' and 'took away her substance as a person'. She said: 'After she started talking to her so-called friend online – I thought she was talking to gamer friends and friends from school – she started withdrawing. 'She stopped talking about normal things. She wasn't very bubbly, and I'd literally have to drag her out the house.' Ms Carter said she believes Rhianan's death could have been prevented if she was placed in a mental health unit, rather than the children's home, to 'deal with her mood swings, her brain going mad'. She said: 'They don't know a child like a mother does. Even when she was at home, I would wake up two or three times throughout the night and go and check her. These houses aren't guaranteed to do that.' The mother added that it was 'scary' when she referred her daughter to Prevent but she 'knew it had to be done'. She said: 'I was hoping that it was just going to take her two or three times a week to work on her mind, unpick her head, and turn her back into Rhianan. 'Not end up with all these police officers turning up arresting her and pulling my house apart. You don't expect that at all.' The inquest heard that Rhianan took an overdose of her mother's medication after being encouraged to by the 'two competing individuals' in her mind a week before she was charged and moved to the children's home. Recalling that moment, Ms Carter said: 'I go down the stairs and Rhianan was laying on my living room floor. And I actually thought she was dead, but she wasn't. 'She basically called them (an ambulance) when she decided that she changed her mind and didn't want to die.' Ms Carter continued: 'I've made mistakes, and I want the organisations to put their hands up and admit they've made mistakes and to rectify their mistakes so it doesn't happen again. 'And then that way everybody can be happy, except me, because I've already lost my daughter.' Ms Carter described Rhianan as 'loving, kind' and a 'really beautiful soul'. She added: 'Her brother, Brandon, and Rhianan were like two peas in a pod, and he just feels completely lost without her.'
