Officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are growing more concerned about an online network called “764” that targets and extorts young people.
The predators befriend teenagers on online platforms then push them into behavior including creating and sharing pornography, harming pets, cutting themselves, and suicide, ABC News reported Tuesday.
The predators in 764 demand their victims share images and videos of the behavior so they can share it with other 764 followers. They also use the content for extortion.
“Some of the predators even host ‘watch parties’ for others to watch them torment victims live online, according to authorities,” the article said. Per ABC 7, investigators said the darker and more violent the images or videos a member can coerce a minor to produce helps them climb the ladder of standing in the network.
In April, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that two leaders of the group were arrested and charged for operating an international child exploitation enterprise.
The men were identified as Leonidas Varagiannis, an American citizen who lives in Greece, and Prasan Nepal who lives in High Point, North Carolina.
Nepal reportedly instructed other members of 764 on how to groom and extort victims, according to ABC 11. The outlet said Nepal allegedly wrote, “Extortion is a form of discipline to little girls who might not have a father at home. It’s a good thing”:
Citing an affidavit, the DOJ said the network’s mission is to destroy civilized society by corrupting and exploiting vulnerable populations.
“The 764 network’s accelerationist goals include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the U.S. Government,” the agency noted.
FBI Assistant Director David Scott said this network is among the most disturbing things officials have seen, and the agency has opened over 250 investigations linked to the network.
In a social media post on Tuesday, FBI Director Kash Patel encouraged people to read the ABC report on 764 and how officials are working against it.
“Those who come after America’s children will face justice. We will be relentless in pursuing them,” he wrote:
I'd encourage everyone to read this story on the violent 764 network and how the @FBI is working with local law enforcement to fight back.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) May 6, 2025
It's deeply disturbing, but critically important to understand what's out there and be aware of the threats American kids and families are… https://t.co/PU90nxqzGE
Bradley Cadenhead is the reported founder of 764. He pleaded guilty to charges relating to child pornography and is now serving an 80-year prison sentence in Texas.
“According to court documents, Cadenhead launched his new online community on the social platform Discord and called it ‘764’ because at the time — when he was 15 — he lived in Stephenville, Texas, where the ZIP code begins with the numbers 764,” the ABC News report said.
