What To Know About The ‘764’ Online Predator Network And The Federal Crackdown

Authored by Savannah Hulsey Pointer via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Department of Justice (DOJ) officials are attempting to crack down on an online predator network known as “764,” as online exploitation of vulnerable groups increases.

This group has proven to be dangerous for many victims, including minors, who are targeted and threatened through forums and gaming platforms. The FBI announced on Feb. 20 that it has prioritized investigations related to the group.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said the group is “producing some of the most sadistic online enticement reports” it has ever seen.

Here’s what we know about the 764 network and the government’s crackdown.

What the Network Does

In March, the FBI warned of a “sharp increase” in activity from 764 and similar networks.

According to the bureau, the networks “methodically target and exploit minors” and others. The groups use threats, blackmail, and other forms of manipulation to coerce or extort victims.

The primary mode of leverage is to force the individual to produce and share acts of self-harm, animal cruelty, explicit sexual acts, and even suicide. The footage can then be circulated among members of the network, which allows for continued extortion and control of victims.

The group has been known to prey on victims as young as 9 years old.

The DOJ refers to 764 as “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.”

The mother of a child exploited by a 764 group member told the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that the individual pushed her daughter to cut the member’s screen name into her arm with a razor blade.

The individual then told her she was a “good girl” and that he or she loved her. To the mother’s surprise, her daughter responded, “I love you too!”

“These guys are very scary,” the mother told the organization. “Just the power they have over my daughter is mind blowing. Please help!”

Families have also alleged that group members have threatened to harm the relatives of the individuals they target if the victims do not cooperate with the group’s demands.

The Network’s Goal

The 764 network emerged in 2021 from the “Com Network,” which was involved in sexual extortion and online child sexual abuse material distribution, according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a global human rights organization.

The network was started in 2021 by then-15-year-old Texas resident Bradley Cadenhead, who said that the group was cofounded by a friend he met through the game Minecraft, although the friend has not been identified, according to the institute.

The group was named “764” after Cadenhead’s hometown ZIP code.

According to the FBI, some of the violent actors in the online network are “motivated by a desire to cause fear and chaos through their criminal conduct.”

The agency also said that the motivations of many of the exploitative actors are highly individualized and that “some threat actors may be engaging in criminal activity solely for sexual gratification, social status, or a sense of belonging.”

The DOJ asserts that many members of 764 seek to desensitize young people to violence and destroy societal norms surrounding violence.

“They normalize the possession, production, and sharing of explicit [child sexual abuse material] and gore material to corrupt and groom their victims toward future violence, gain notoriety among other members of the network, and spread fear for the purpose of accelerating chaos under the 764 ideology with an aim toward the disruption of society,” the DOJ stated.

The agency has also stated its belief that the 764 network’s goals include social unrest and “the downfall of the current world order, including the United States Government.”

Government Crackdown

FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino said on Nov. 20 that their bureau is committed to cracking down on 764.

“This FBI is fully engaged in taking down the heinous ‘764’ network that targets America’s children online,” Patel said in a statement.

The director went on to say that more than 300 investigations are underway across the United States and that the agency is “not stopping.”

Bongino announced that the FBI’s Baltimore field office arrested an individual accused of targeting at least five minors: “This [FBI] will keep working day and night to destroy this network. It is a top priority. We are making progress, but the work isn’t done.”

Arizona authorities in October announced charges against an alleged affiliate of the 764 network. The individual, 21-year-old Baron Cain Martin, was known online as “Convict” and other names.

He is accused of targeting at least eight children between the ages of 11 and 15 and of child sexual abuse material production and distribution, cyberstalking, “animal crushing” content, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.

“This man’s alleged crimes are unthinkably depraved and reflect the horrific danger of 764—if convicted, he will face severe consequences as we work to dismantle this evil network,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

Martin is also accused of writing and posting a guide to train others on how to identify, groom, and extort victims of their own.

Patel also commented on Martin’s charges, saying in a statement, “The FBI will not stop until we find those who perpetrate these horrific crimes that prey on the most vulnerable members of our communities.”

More arrests were made in April when two citizens of the United States connected with 764 residing in Thessaloniki, Greece, and High Point, North Carolina, were accused of grooming, manipulating, and extorting minors.

How to Keep Your Family Safe

Cadenhead was arrested in 2021 and later sentenced to 80 years in prison for the creation and distribution of child sexual abuse materials. But that has done nothing to slow the group’s growth.

In his Nov. 20 statement, Patel encouraged parents to monitor children’s internet activity and limit the opportunities for online predators to reach children.

The 764 network began its activities on the messaging app Kik but also uses online platforms such as Discord, Roblox, Snapchat, Instagram, and Telegram, according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the FBI encourage parents and caregivers to also look for cuts, bruises, or other wounds on their children in unusual patterns. Another cause for concern is any sudden change in behavior or any attempt by a child to cover him- or herself with excessive clothing.

Parents are also encouraged to discuss with their children the potential dangers of contact with strangers and sharing personal information and photos.

Bondi said in her statement, “I urge parents to remain vigilant about the threats their children face online.”