The FBI has launched nationwide investigations into a sinister online neo-Nazi network targeting minors, with hundreds of cases already underway.
Quick Takes
- The FBI has over 250 open investigations into “764,” a neo-Nazi sextortion ring exploiting teens across online platforms like Discord and Roblox
- Every FBI field office in the United States is now involved in investigating this group, which was founded in 2020
- Victims are blackmailed into creating explicit content, self-harm, and even acts of animal cruelty while being indoctrinated with neo-Nazi and Satanic ideologies
- The network glorifies mass-casualty attacks and extreme violence, with at least 15 people already arrested on related charges
- Parents are urged to monitor their children’s online activities as victims have been as young as nine years old
Nationwide Investigation Underway
Federal authorities have opened more than 250 investigations into a dangerous online network known as “764,” a neo-Nazi group targeting teenagers across popular platforms like Discord and Roblox. Every FBI field office in the United States is currently handling cases related to this organization, which uses sextortion tactics to manipulate minors into producing explicit content and engaging in harmful activities. The network, founded in 2020 by Bradley Cadenhead, has spread throughout the country and beyond, prompting the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division to lead investigations as they consider the group a form of domestic terrorism.
“764 is a network of nihilistic violent extremists … seeking to destroy civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, which often include minors,” the FBI said.
Disturbing Tactics and Ideology
The group employs particularly disturbing tactics to control its victims. Once they obtain compromising material from a teenager, members blackmail them into creating increasingly degrading content, engaging in self-harm, or even committing acts of animal cruelty. Some predators host live “watch parties” to collectively torment victims. The FBI became aware of the network in 2021 after an arrest in Queens on gun charges led investigators to uncover connections to this larger organization, which has links to the Order of Nine Angles, a decentralized Satanic neo-Nazi group.
“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.
Recent Arrests and Ongoing Threat
Law enforcement has already made progress against the group, with at least 15 people arrested on charges related to 764 activities. Two suspected members, Prasan Nepa Leonidas Varagiannis and Prasan Nepal, were recently taken into custody. Additionally, individuals like Jairo Tinajero and Jack Rocker have been arrested for crimes linked to the network. Despite these efforts, the group continues to pose a significant threat, with members gaining status through violence and adherence to extremist ideologies that aim to “sow chaos” and “bring down society.”
“These criminals methodically target the most vulnerable members of society, our children and other at-risk individuals – by connecting with them online and then manipulating or coercing them into producing and sharing extreme gore content, child sexual abuse material, or engaging in acts of animal cruelty, self-harm, or violence,” said the FBI’s Miami Division.
ABC news is the first US mainstream media outlet to release a special investigative series on the 764 network. This video aired on ABC San Francisco tonight as the lead story! Full article in comments. pic.twitter.com/t0vNzCFoWm
— Bx (@bx_on_x) May 7, 2025
Protecting Children Online
The FBI is urging parents, teachers, and the public to remain vigilant about their children’s online activities. Victims have been as young as nine years old, with potentially thousands affected globally. A recent incident involved a Kentucky teen linked to “764” who made a hoax bomb threat to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, leading to an evacuation and his subsequent arrest. Companies like Roblox and Discord have stated they are working to provide safer online environments and assist law enforcement in addressing these threats.
Experts now consider this online threat a priority in national security, with former FBI Agent Stuart Kaplan noting, “The FBI now sees this as a national security priority. Child exploitation has moved beyond drug trafficking and sex trafficking—these bad actors can sit in a foreign territory, miles away, and use children here on U.S. soil to carry out nefarious acts.”
