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Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Warning over terrifying online gang which pushes teenage victims to take nudes, hurt family pets or self-harm
A violent predator group has gotten the attention of the FBI after luring children into extreme behavior over the internet. The sadistic group - known as '764' - is known as a nihilistic violent extremist network (NVE) that befriends teens through popular online platforms, then coerces them into performing cruel and sexual acts. '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. Leonidas Varagiannis, 21, and Prasan Nepal, 20, allegedly led a core subgroup of 764 known as '764 Inferno,' which targeted vulnerable people, including children, with tactics designed to induce self-harm, the Department of Justice said. The pair were also involved in making and distributing child sexual abuse material, which was combined with other 'gore and violent material to create digital "Lorebooks."' 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.' 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.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
What is the ‘764' group?: FBI investigates violent predator group targeting kids online
A nude Barbie doll with '764' written across its forehead. This is among the many concerning photos police obtained after investigating a 17-year-old girl targeted by the violent online group 764 (Vernon Police Department) The FBI is growing more and more concerned about a loose group of online, violent predators known as '764,' who coerce young girls into harming themselves and producing explicit content. Late last month, authorities arrested two men believed to prominent members of the extremist group: 21-year-old Leonidas Varagiannis and 20-year-old Prasan Nepal. They're accused of 'orchestrating one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises we have ever encountered,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. Varagiannis, Nepal and other members have coerced young girls into creating sexual abuse material and even ordered their victims to commit acts of self-harm while engaging in 'psychological torment and extreme violence' against them, the Department of Justice alleges. The group is widespread, police warn. The FBI has more than 250 open investigations into the group, and every single one of its 55 field offices is handling a 764-related case, FBI Assistant Director David Scott, the head of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division, told ABC News. The group has targeted victims as young as nine, and there could be thousands of victims around the world, Scott said. Here's what you need to know about the online extremist group: Prasan Nepal was one of two men arrested last month for allegedly leading 764 (Guilford County Sheriff's Office) What is the group 764? The group 764 is a 'violent online network that seeks to destroy civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, which often include minors,' according to the Department of Justice. The network's goals include 'social unrest' and the 'downfall of the current world order, including the U.S. Government.' Members of the group target vulnerable children online and coerce them into producing explicit content, according to investigators. This content includes 'cut signs' and 'blood signs' that victims would cut into their bodies. Members force children 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 Department of Justice said. The network also shares violent content with its victims in hopes of desensitizing them, investigators say. Some members even glorify mass casualty events like the 1999 Columbine High School shooting and introduce their victims to neo-Nazism or Satanism, ABC News reports. The Department of Justice describes 764 as a 'violent online network' that targets 'vulnerable populations, which often includes minors' (AFP via Getty Images) Who is the group targeting? The group targets young girls they view as vulnerable, investigators say. A recent criminal complaint filed against the group's alleged leaders includes materials used by the group instructing members 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 alleged instructions read. 'The best woman to target are ones that have depression or mentally ill ones,' the instructions continue. One victim, a 17-year-old Connecticut girl, was first targeted on Roblox and Discord, ABC News reports. The alleged 764 member who targeted her then convinced her they were a couple, and she sent him sexual photos. She went on to produce several pieces of content for the group, including a nude Barbie doll with '764' written on its forehead and a note written in her blood calling the man who targeted her a 'god.' The FBI is growing more concerned about the widespread online group 764 (Vernon Police Department) The girl even allegedly helped direct a series of threats to local schools in 2023 and 2024, ABC News reports. Scott said it's common 764 victims like her to 'then become subjects" by perpetrating acts "on behalf of the individual who victimized them.' The girl was eventually arrested on conspiracy-related charges and referred to juvenile court. Even before her arrest, however, she had started to resist some of the demands directed at her. This led to her family home being 'swatted,' which is when someone falsely reports a crime or violence to try and induce SWAT teams to a location. The man at the center of the Connecticut girl's case is still under investigation by authorities, according to ABC News. Spokespeople for both Roblox and Discord told ABC News said their companies are 'committed' to creating safe spaces online and have policies in place to prohibit the abuse of children. What warning signs should parents look out for? Parents should look for changes in their children's activities, behavior and personality, Scott told ABC News. They should also keep an eye out for questionable injuries to family pets and evidence of self-harm. Signs of self-harm could include a child wearing long-sleeved clothes or trying to cover their body on hot days, Scott told the outlet. "Just be on the lookout for any of those things that are alarming, and just have in the back of your mind that this may all be a result of what is happening online," Vernon Police Detective Tommy Van Tasel, who worked on the Connecticut girl's 764 case, told ABC News. If you are based in the U.S. and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to to find a helpline near you. If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can also speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@ or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
NC man arrested as part of international child exploitation ring ‘764,' DOJ says
HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — A man from High Point has been taken into custody by the Department of Justice for his role in what is described as a violent organization participating in the exploitation of children. Prasan Nepal, 20, of High Point, was taken into custody on April 22 after being accused of being a leader of the organization '764' since at least 2021. 764 is described by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue as a 'network of online groups that engage in sextortion and the glorification of violence. The network, which comprises a constantly shifting landscape of splinter groups and offshoots, forces minor victims to produce Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). They then use that CSAM as leverage to force victims to perform acts of violence, animal abuse, or self-harm. They also engage in extensive swatting, harassment, and intimidation campaigns to silence their victims.' The ISD says that 764 also has taken inspiration from extremist groups such as the Order of Nine Angles, an esoteric neo-Nazi group. 'The 764 network's accelerationist goals include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the United States Government,' according to the DOJ complaint. 'Members of 764 work in concert with one another towards a common purpose of destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, including minors.' The DOJ describes this disparate network as 'NVEs,' or 'nihilistic violent extremists,' in their complaint. Nihilistic violent extremists, according to an early DOJ filing, are 'individuals who engage in criminal conduct within the United States and abroad, in furtherance of political, social, or religious goals that derive primarily from a hatred of society at large and a desire to bring about its collapse by sowing indiscriminate chaos, destruction, and social instability. NVEs work individually or as part of a network with these goals of destroying civilized society.' Indicted 'Terrorgram' neo-Nazi cited Randolph County substation attack, court documents show; 'This avenue of attack … has really caught on' Journalist Ken Klippenstein opines that the designation, created by the FBI under Kash Patel, is an attempt to make terrorism designations sound 'non-partisan' in the wake of Jan. 6's anti-government insurrection and the Biden administration's focus on anti-government extremism. The DOJ states that Nepal, along with an American citizen living abroad in Greece, identified as Leonidas Varagiannis, 21, engaged in a 'child exploitation enterprise' as leadership in 764. Nepal and Varagiannis are accused of exploiting minors and facilitating the production of child pornography. 'Members of 764, both individually and as a group, methodically targeted vulnerable populations, including minor girls with mental health challenges, and attempted to socially engineer them, gain their trust, and then groom them to share private information and intimate visual depictions of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct,' the complaint reads. According to the complaint, 764 members would use this information and intimate content to escalate further, coercing the victims into providing images of more extreme acts such as self-harm, abusing pets and siblings, setting themselves on fire and even suicide. Nepal is accused of operating 764 since its inception in late 2020 or early 2021. He took over leadership after the original founder of 764 was arrested in 2021. Nepal used monikers such as 'Leather Jacket,' 'Rebirth,' and 'KingKrampus,' but the complaint says he was known in 764 Inferno as 'Trippy.' Varagiannis joined in 2023 and was known in the primary 764 chat, '764 Inferno,' as 'War.' Defunct nonprofit run by Mark Robinson's wife misses deadline to pay more than $100,000 owed to NCDHHS '764 Inferno leadership, including the defendants, conspired with group members to create and distribute images of the exploitation of minors,' the complaint reads. 'These images depicted both the sexual exploitation of minors as well as images depicting self-mutilation. The defendants controlled membership in and access to the group. The defendants posted instructions to group members regarding methods they should employ to exploit vulnerable minor children. The defendants also interacted with group members by commenting on the exploitation material they posted. 764 relied on members recruiting other members into the group in order to generate additional content, including child exploitation content, that could be distributed in the group.' Nepal is accused of admitting on social media as far back as 2019 that he had child sex abuse material, posting on Snapchat 'I got cp if u wanna see it … child porn … I'll send it.' He is also quoted as advocating for the extortion of young girls, writing 'I'd rather have extortions continue than stop generally because it does in a way promote harm and teaches cringey e girls lessons.' Nepal is also accused of controlling recruitment into 764 Inferno, telling a co-conspirator that several aspiring members couldn't be let in until they 'do some crazy s—.' One co-conspirator allegedly shared a video of a young girl taking her own life at their direction. The two men, along with unnamed co-conspirators, are also accused of creating a 'guide' for aspiring 764 members on how to create child sexual exploitation material and other material for the group. 'The guide specifically instructed recruits on 'grooming' victims into producing content for 764, and advised members to target particularly vulnerable victims, such as individuals with depression or mental illness,' the complaint reads, adding that the guide provided instructions for extorting the vulnerable young people being targeted. Nepal is accused of writing in the chat, 'Extortion is a form of discipline to little girls who might not have a father at home. It's a good thing.' The complaint goes into detail about child sex abuse material that the unnamed co-conspirators posted in the '764 Inferno' chat, of which Nepal and Varagiannis were administrators. Nepal is currently in the Guilford County jail on a federal hold. Federal court filings show he has a public defender. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
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 All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Read the original article on People
USA Today
01-05-2025
- USA Today
US national charged with operating global child exploitation enterprise
US national charged with operating global child exploitation enterprise Show Caption Hide Caption Teen boys blackmailed using nude photos is on the rise: What to know Predators financially extort teens, mostly boys, by blackmailing them with nude photos. Here's what these conversations look like. Two men have been arrested and charged for allegedly playing key roles in operating "one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises" federal authorities have ever encountered, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Leonidas Varagiannis, 21, and Prasan Nepal, 20, are accused of leading "764 Inferno," a core subgroup of a U.S.-based criminal online network known as "764," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. The group targeted vulnerable people, specifically children, online and used violent tactics that were designed to induce self-harm, a criminal complaint states. "764 is a network of nihilistic violent extremists who engage in criminal conduct in the United States and abroad, seeking to destroy civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, which often include minors," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release April 30. "The 764 network's accelerationist goals include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the United States Government." Varagiannis, who is known online as "War," is a U.S. citizen residing in Greece and was arrested in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki on April 28, prosecutors said. Nepal, known as 'Trippy,' was arrested on April 22 in North Carolina. The two men allegedly conspired with and directed at least half a dozen other members or prospective members of "764 Inferno" to commit malicious crimes, according to the criminal complaint. They face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted, prosecutors said. These young men were being blackmailed. Then, they lost more money. Federal authorities have referred to "764" as a "nihilistic violent extremist" network that operates within the United States and across the world. The group is one of several online-based cybercrime networks within a broader network known as 'the Com,' which includes violent and cybercriminal activity, according to Reuters and CyberScoop. In March, the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned in a public service announcement that there has been a "sharp increase" of "764" activity and other related violent online networks. "These networks methodically target and exploit minors and other vulnerable individuals, and it is imperative the public be made aware of the risk and the warning signs exhibited by victims," the FBI said. "These networks exist on publicly available online platforms, such as social media sites, gaming platforms, and mobile applications commonly used by young people." According to the agency, these networks threaten and manipulate victims into producing and sharing acts of self-harm, animal cruelty, sexually explicit acts, or suicide. Footage of these acts is then shared among members of these networks to extort victims and control them. 'Facilitated the grooming, manipulation, and extortion of minors' The criminal complaint alleged that members of "764 Inferno" operated through encrypted messaging applications, in which they made and distributed child sexual abuse material. Prosecutors said the group's activities occurred from late 2020 to early 2025, during which "core leadership roles" were assigned to both Veragiannis and Nepal. The material was used with "other gore and violent material to create digital 'Lorebooks,'" according to prosecutors. The group's "Lorebooks" were used as digital currency within "764," which members traded, archived in encrypted "vaults," and used to recruit new members or maintain status within the network, prosecutors said. The complaint detailed how Veragiannis and Nepal provided step-by-step instructions for other members on how to groom and extort a potential victim. The two also set production expectations, which were based on the quality and notoriety of content for new recruits, the complaint alleged. What is sextortion? This fast-growing crime targets teen boys. Here's what to do about it. According to the complaint, Veragiannis and Nepal exploited at least eight victims under the age of 18 across multiple jurisdictions, and some content was traced to children as young as 13. The complaint also alleged that both Veragiannis and Nepal threatened and coerced their victims to engage in self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts and threats of violence, and suicide. "The defendants facilitated the grooming, manipulation, and extortion of minors," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. "Veragiannis and Nepal allegedly ordered their victims to commit acts of self-harm and engaged in psychological torment and extreme violence against minors .. This content includes 'cut signs' and 'blood signs' through which young girls would cut symbols into their bodies." Allison Nixon, chief research officer for cybersecurity company Unit 221B, told Reuters that Varagiannis and Nepal are "major actors," and that their arrests are a positive development. "Com-related crime waves are driven by a small number of highly prolific actors,' Nixon added. 'Arrests really are a winning strategy." If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at Contributing: Reuters
