Latest news with #Varagiannis
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Time of India
FBI cracks down on international online child exploitation ring linked to group 764
Two men have been charged with leading an international online child exploitation ring reportedly linked to the extremist group 764 . According to prosecutors, one of the men was arrested in North Carolina, while the other was apprehended in Greece. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Prosecutors state the ring exploited at least eight minors across multiple jurisdictions. The United States District Court for the District of Columbia announced charges against Leonidas Varagiannis , 21, known as 'War,' and Prasan Nepal , 20, known as 'Trippy.' As per the court documents shared by prosecutors, an FBI agent stated that Varagiannis, Nepal, and other members of the group targeted vulnerable individuals, including girls with mental health issues. The group is accused of grooming the girls, coercing them into sending intimate images, and forcing them to perform additional acts. Both Varagiannis and Nepal were arrested last month. Prosecutors detail disturbing methods of online network targeting vulnerable minors The two men charged with leading an international child exploitation ring allegedly operated within "764," a network that sexually extorts minors and celebrates violence, according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Court documents reveal that Varagiannis and Nepal allegedly recruited members based on the content they shared online and coordinated efforts to groom vulnerable girls, particularly those with mental health issues. Prosecutors claim the group first earned victims' trust to obtain private information and intimate images, then used these materials to coerce increasingly extreme and degrading content. The alleged coercion included forcing victims to carve group members' names into their bodies, harm themselves, abuse family members or pets, and attempt suicide. The group has been accused of compiling victims' images into "Lorebooks," which were valued as "currency" within the network and stored in online vaults. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Members allegedly agreed to preserve this material if others were arrested. Since 2021, at least ten people connected to 764 have been arrested for sexual extortion , possession of child sexual abuse material , or violent attacks. Nepal, who prosecutors say helped found 764 in 2020-2021, was arrested in North Carolina. Varagiannis, who allegedly joined in December 2023 and helped determine group membership, was apprehended in Greece. Both men face potential life sentences if convicted.
Indianapolis Star
01-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Men led 764 exploitation group, groomed girls suffering from mental illness: prosecutors
Two men, including one who lives in North Carolina, are facing charges after prosecutors say they led an international child exploitation ring linked to the extremist group 764. Charged are 21-year-old Leonidas Varagiannis, known as 'War,' and 20-year-old Prasan Nepal, known as 'Trippy,' said prosecutors from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in a news release. Prosecutors said Varagiannis was arrested on April 30 in Greece, while Nepal was arrested on April 22 in North Carolina. In court documents prosecutors shared with the news release, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said Varagiannis, Nepal, and other group members targeted vulnerable populations, including girls with mental health issues. The group members are accused of grooming, or earning the girls' trust, then getting them to send intimate images of themselves. They also coerced the girls into performing more acts, court documents allege. Prosecutors said in their news release that both men exploited at least eight minors across multiple jurisdictions. A lawyer for Nepal did not provide comment when contacted by USA TODAY on May 1. It was not clear on May 1 who is representing Varagiannis in court. What is 764? Varagiannis and Nepal were allegedly part of a group known as 764, a network of online groups that extort minors sexually and glorify violence, according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. The group intimidates victims through swatting, or making fake calls to law enforcement, the institute said. Since 2021, at least ten 764 members or people affiliated with the group have been arrested for sexual extortion, possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), or violent attacks. Court documents: Group members forced girls to carve names into their bodies According to the court documents, Varagiannis, Nepal, and other group members groomed the girls by earning their trust and convincing them to share private information and intimate images of themselves. The group then used the intimate images to 'coerce victims into providing more extreme and degrading content,' the court documents allege. Among the acts the group is accused of coercing the girls into doing are carving the names of 764 members into their bodies, lighting themselves on fire, abusing their pets or siblings, and attempting to die by suicide. The 764 members then took the images and created 'Lorebooks' to share among 764 members, court documents allege. These books included child sexual abuse material and was viewed as 'valuable currency' within the 764 group, court documents show. According to court documents, 764 members shared their content, which was then stored in online vaults. Those managing the vaults agreed to keep the content if any members were 'fedded,' or arrested. Varagiannis and Nepal are accused of recruiting 764 members based on the quality and popularity of the content they shared online, court documents show. What role did the defendants play in the group's activities? Nepal lives in High Point, North Carolina, about 18 miles southwest of Greensboro, according to prosecutors. He has been part of the group since late 2020 or early 2021, and in addition to his most popular nickname Trippy, Nepal also went by Leather Jacket, Rebirth, and KingKrampus, court documents show. The group's founder was previously arrested around Aug. 25, 2021 and is serving an 80-year sentence for possession with the intent to promote child pornography, per court documents. Messages in the founder's phone show a conversation with Nepal dating back to July 1, 2021. During the conversation, the founder and Nepal talk about founding 764 together. Varagiannis joined the group after Nepal, around December 2023. His most popular nickname is War, but he also goes by mercyisweak, mercyisweak2, and sinister(expletive), court documents show. He is a U.S. citizen but has spent time living in Greece, where he was arrested. Court documents: Defendants guided members on how to groom victims The FBI agent alleges in court documents that Nepal admitted to having child sexual abuse material in Snapchat messages. Per court documents, Nepal sent messages to people offering to send them child sexual abuse materials and sharing steps on how to groom victims suffering from mental health issues. He encouraged members to "seduce" girls suffering from mental illness and encourage them to harm themselves. He also wrote on Sept. 30, 2024 that members could extort girls who have no father figures in their lives. According to court documents, Varagiannis helped to determine who was allowed access to the group. On one occasion, he told a prospective member that footage of a minor dying by suicide was "funny." If convicted, each man faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a news release that both Nepal and Varagiannis were part of 'one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises' prosecutors have ever heard of. 'We will find those who exploit and abuse children, prosecute them, and dismantle every part of their operation,' she said.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Docs: ‘psychological torment'; children exploited in operation across US; two charged
Editor's Note — Some details of the case, as laid out by the U.S. Attorney's Office, may be disturbing. Please use discretion when reading or sharing the content. WASHINGTON () — The United States Attorney's Office for D.C. () announced that two leaders of a violent extremist network that has ties to child exploitation cases across the country were taken into custody. Leonidas Varagiannis, also known as 'War,' 21, and Prasan Nepal, also known as 'Trippy,' 20, were both arrested and charged for allegedly running an international child exploitation network known as '764.' Varagiannis, who is a U.S. citizen and lives in Greece, was arrested on April 29, and Nepal, was arrested in North Carolina on April 22. According to an affidavit in D.C., the '764' is a network of violent extremists who engage in criminal conduct in the United States and abroad. The group's activities spanned from late 2020 and continued into early 2025 and sought to destroy and exploit vulnerable people, who are often children, officials said. Chesapeake family of five found safe in northern Virginia Varagiannis and Nepal are accused of engaging and coordinating the '764,' which operated through encrypted messaging applications. The pair allegedly directed and caused the production and distribution of child sex abuse material (CSAM) while manipulating and grooming minors. The group then used the CSAM to create digital 'lorebooks,' which they used as digital currency to trade and to recruit new members. The attorney's office said Varagiannis and Nepal encouraged their victims to harm themselves and engage in psychological torment. Some of the content included 'cut signs' and 'blood signs,' where young girls will cut symbols into their bodies. In multiple instances, Varagiannis and Nepal threatened and caused victims to engage in self-mutilation, harm animals, sexual acts, murder, suicide, acts of violence and more, a release states. Officials said Varagiannis and Nepal are also accused of exploiting at least eight children across multiple jurisdictions. Some of the content traced back to children as young as 13. Police offer up to $150k for Bethesda mail carrier robbery tips leading to arrest '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,' said Attorney General Bondi. 'We will find those who exploit and abuse children, prosecute them, and dismantle every part of their operation.' 'These arrests expose one of the most disturbing online child exploitation networks we've ever encountered,' added NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. 'A group that glorified violence, weaponized abuse, and targeted children to advance a deeply depraved ideology. Through the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the NYPD is proud to have partnered with federal and international authorities to dismantle this horrific operation and protect the most vulnerable among us.' If convicted, Varagiannis and Nepal both face a maximum penalty of life in prison. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
01-05-2025
- USA Today
Men led 764 exploitation group, groomed girls suffering from mental illness: prosecutors
Men led 764 exploitation group, groomed girls suffering from mental illness: prosecutors Two men, including one who lives in North Carolina, are facing charges after prosecutors say they led an international child exploitation ring linked to the extremist group 764. Charged are 21-year-old Leonidas Varagiannis, known as 'War,' and 20-year-old Prasan Nepal, known as 'Trippy,' said prosecutors from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in a news release. Prosecutors said Varagiannis was arrested on April 30 in Greece, while Nepal was arrested on April 22 in North Carolina. In court documents prosecutors shared with the news release, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said Varagiannis, Nepal, and other group members targeted vulnerable populations, including girls with mental health issues. The group members are accused of grooming, or earning the girls' trust, then getting them to send intimate images of themselves. They also coerced the girls into performing more acts, court documents allege. Prosecutors said in their news release that both men exploited at least eight minors across multiple jurisdictions. A lawyer for Nepal did not provide comment when contacted by USA TODAY on May 1. It was not clear on May 1 who is representing Varagiannis in court. What is 764? Varagiannis and Nepal were allegedly part of a group known as 764, a network of online groups that extort minors sexually and glorify violence, according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. The group intimidates victims through swatting, or making fake calls to law enforcement, the institute said. Since 2021, at least ten 764 members or people affiliated with the group have been arrested for sexual extortion, possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), or violent attacks. Court documents: Group members forced girls to carve names into their bodies According to the court documents, Varagiannis, Nepal, and other group members groomed the girls by earning their trust and convincing them to share private information and intimate images of themselves. The group then used the intimate images to 'coerce victims into providing more extreme and degrading content,' the court documents allege. Among the acts the group is accused of coercing the girls into doing are carving the names of 764 members into their bodies, lighting themselves on fire, abusing their pets or siblings, and attempting to die by suicide. The 764 members then took the images and created 'Lorebooks' to share among 764 members, court documents allege. These books included child sexual abuse material and was viewed as 'valuable currency' within the 764 group, court documents show. According to court documents, 764 members shared their content, which was then stored in online vaults. Those managing the vaults agreed to keep the content if any members were 'fedded,' or arrested. Varagiannis and Nepal are accused of recruiting 764 members based on the quality and popularity of the content they shared online, court documents show. What role did the defendants play in the group's activities? Nepal lives in High Point, North Carolina, about 18 miles southwest of Greensboro, according to prosecutors. He has been part of the group since late 2020 or early 2021, and in addition to his most popular nickname Trippy, Nepal also went by Leather Jacket, Rebirth, and KingKrampus, court documents show. The group's founder was previously arrested around Aug. 25, 2021 and is serving an 80-year sentence for possession with the intent to promote child pornography, per court documents. Messages in the founder's phone show a conversation with Nepal dating back to July 1, 2021. During the conversation, the founder and Nepal talk about founding 764 together. Varagiannis joined the group after Nepal, around December 2023. His most popular nickname is War, but he also goes by mercyisweak, mercyisweak2, and sinister(expletive), court documents show. He is a U.S. citizen but has spent time living in Greece, where he was arrested. 'Coercive control': It's a phrase you won't hear about at the Diddy trial. Why it's still important. Court documents: Defendants guided members on how to groom victims The FBI agent alleges in court documents that Nepal admitted to having child sexual abuse material in Snapchat messages. Per court documents, Nepal sent messages to people offering to send them child sexual abuse materials and sharing steps on how to groom victims suffering from mental health issues. He encouraged members to "seduce" girls suffering from mental illness and encourage them to harm themselves. He also wrote on Sept. 30, 2024 that members could extort girls who have no father figures in their lives. According to court documents, Varagiannis helped to determine who was allowed access to the group. On one occasion, he told a prospective member that footage of a minor dying by suicide was "funny." If convicted, each man faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a news release that both Nepal and Varagiannis were part of 'one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises' prosecutors have ever heard of. 'We will find those who exploit and abuse children, prosecute them, and dismantle every part of their operation,' she said. Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@
Epoch Times
01-05-2025
- Epoch Times
Two Americans Charged in Operating International Child Exploitation Ring
Two leaders of a child exploitation network known as 764 have been arrested, federal officials announced on Wednesday. Prasan Nepal, 20, of High Point, North Carolina, was arrested on April 22 in North Carolina. Leonidas Varagiannis, 21, was arrested on April 29 in Greece on an international warrant. Both defendants face charges of operating an international child exploitation enterprise, marking a major takedown of an operation that targets innocent children, according to FBI Director Kash Patel. 'This is a significant case in our renewed mission to crack down on child sexual exploitation and abuse—heinous crimes that no child or parent should ever be faced with,' Patel said on Wednesday in a The defendants allegedly recruited others to exploit children and coordinated the operation through encrypted messaging apps. Varagiannis has denied the allegations. He appeared in court on Wednesday before an appellate prosecutor and opposed extradition, according to Greek judicial authorities and his lawyer. 'Throughout the period during which the alleged offenses took place, he was residing in Greece. Therefore, Greek law and courts have jurisdiction over the case, and his extradition is explicitly prohibited,' his lawyer, Xanthippi Moysidou, told Nepal is currently in the Guilford County, North Carolina, jail on a federal hold and has a public defender. Federal prosecutors allege the two men targeted children as young as 13 years old from late 2020 through early 2025 across multiple jurisdictions through the 764 criminal enterprise. Related Stories 4/30/2025 4/28/2025 764 is a network of online groups that 'methodically target and exploit minors and other vulnerable individuals,' according to a public service 'These networks use threats, blackmail, and manipulation to coerce or extort victims into producing, sharing, or live-streaming acts of self-harm, animal cruelty, sexually explicit acts, and/or suicide,' the FBI said. The material is used as leverage to force victims to perform acts of violence and even self-harm. The network also engages in swatting and harassment to silence its victims. A '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 Department of Justice The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The DOJ launched the initiative in May 2006. The initiative utilizes federal, state, and local resources to locate, arrest, and prosecute those who exploit children through the internet. It also aims to identify and rescue victims. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday called for swift justice in the case. '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,' Bondi said in a Varagiannis will remain in custody until a court of appeals rules on the U.S. extradition request. If convicted, both defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
