A twisted neo-Nazi sextortion ring that targets kids as young as 9 and blackmails them into making sick photos and videos is spreading to every corner of the United States — and the FBI has tips for parents on how to spot if their children are being groomed.
The Bureau has hundreds of open cases against the group known as “764” – a cult-like network with ties to neo-Nazis and Satanism whose members “methodically target and exploit minors” after contacting them on gaming chatrooms, social media and phone apps.
764 is the largest network — with 250 active cases, at least one in every single FBI field office, ABC News reported.
But there are others, as well.
“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 Tuesday in a public service announcement.
Members then circulate the disgusting photos and videos amongst themselves and threaten to post them publicly to keep their victims under control.
Some warnings signs could be associated with regular teenage angst — while others are more disturbing. Here’s what the FBI is warning parents to watch out for.
- Kids engaging in self-harm or expressing suicidal thoughts
- Suddenly becoming more withdrawn and moody
- Sudden changes in eating, sleeping and dressing habits
- Pets being harmed or dying under mysterious circumstances
- Kids mutilating themselves by carving words or symbols into their skin
- Writing in blood, or anything that looks like blood
The 764 cult is an outgrowth of an older, larger organization known as the Order of Nine Angles, which has ties to neo-Nazism and Satanism.
Its founder, Bradley Cadenhead, was just 15 when he formed the group in 2020, naming it after part of his own zip code.
The FBI has described them as “nihilistic violent extremists … seeking to destroy civilized society,” yet their actual ideology seems to be all over the place.
“Some threat actors may be engaging in criminal activity solely for sexual gratification, social status, or a sense of belonging, or for a mix of other reasons that may not be ideologically motivated,” the agency said.
The widespread targeting of kids have become a huge focus for cops who focus on online activity, Rebecca Weiner, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism, told The Post.
Weiner said the number of active cases will only rise as arrests and the seizures of computers and phones provide officers with more leads on the activities of these demented predators.
Last year, police in Vernon, Connecticut, arrested a 17-year-old girl for allegedly calling in bomb threats and “swatting” pranks against schools and places of worship, NBC Connecticut reported.
Investigators discovered photos of her posing nude, mutilating herself, and a shot of a nude Barbie doll with “764” written on its face.
Authorities arrested two suspected 764 members last month: Prasan Nepa Leonidas Varagiannis, a.k.a. “War,” 21, and Prasan Nepal, a.k.a. “Trippy,” 20.
The pair are accused of targeting children as young as 13 years old online, intimidating them into making explicit videos.
“This content includes ‘cut signs’ and ‘blood signs’ through which young girls would cut symbols into their bodies,” the FBI said in a statement.
