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764 (organization)

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764
("the com")
Founded2019 (as CVLT)
2021 (as 764)
FounderBradley "Felix" Cadenhead (764)
Named afterZIP code for Stephenville
Founding locationStephenville, Texas (CVLT allegedly founded in France)
Years active2019–present
TerritoryUnited States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, Romania, Brazil
ActivitiesSextortion, cybercrime, child pornography, assault, kidnapping, murder

764 (or "the com") is a decentralized transnational sextortion network with alleged ideological ties to the Order of Nine Angles.[1] It is classified as a terror network by the U.S. Department of Justice, and is considered by the FBI as a "tier one" terrorist threat.[2] The Canadian RCMP also classifies 764 as an "ideological violent extremist network", and it has been characterized as a "satanic neo-nazi cult" by multiple sources.[3][4][5][6] The network is most present on Discord and Telegram and usually targets children ages 8 to 17, particularly marginalized children or those suffering from mental health challenges.[7][8][9] 764 was founded in 2021 by Bradley Cadenhead, a teenager from Stephenville, Texas, the group derives its name from the town's ZIP code.[10][11][12]

Victims are forced to commit recorded acts of self-harm to disseminate internally or share on social media platforms.[13][1] They are often asked to carve names on their skin as "cutsigns", a form of branding to showing their subjugation to the group.[6][14][8] They are given the end goal of committing suicide on livestream for the network's entertainment or for the perpetrator's own sense of fame within the network.[15][16]

Background

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Due to the network's loose-knit nature, different sub-groups are known under different names, these sub-groups include CVLT, Court, Kaskar, Harm Nation, Leak Society, 7997, 8884, 2992, 555, Slit Town, 545, 404, NMK, 303, SR1, and H3ll .[16][17][18] When aggregated, the community surrounding these groups are commonly referred to as "the com", shorthand for "the Community".[16][8]

764 was founded by then-15-year-old Bradley Chance Cadenhead of Stephenville, Texas, who used the username "Felix" on Discord.[10] Cadenhead, who was bullied in school before dropping out in 2021, learned to produce child pornography on a sextortion Discord server named CVLT.[10][11][19] CVLT, which was founded in 2019 by a French individual known as "Rohan", often blackmailed victims into self-harm and producing child pornography for commercial gain.[20]

CVLT, and later Cadenhead's 764, sought ideological inspiration from the Order of Nine Angles (O9A), and The Guardian described the group as an "offshoot" of O9A.[21] This involved the adoption of various esoteric ideas and tenets including neo-Nazism, Western esotercism, Satanism, and Wicca and making apparent "blood oathes" to Satan.[21][22] The network later entered a "partnership" with the neo-fascist Ukrainian "Maniac Murder Cult", which gained notoriety for attacks against homeless people.[23][16][13] The alleged leader of the "Maniac Murder Cult", 20-year-old Michail "Commander Butcher" Chkhikvishvili, was arrested in Moldova and extradited to New York where he faces federal hate crime charges for plotting to poison Jewish children.[24]

In 2021, a Minnesota man who was stranded in Kyrgyzstan performed self-immolation for an audience on Discord. He had been encouraged to broadcast his suicide by a 15-year-old Eastern European girl he met online who herself had links to 764.[25]

In September 2023, the FBI published a bulletin warning the public of the network.[26] The Canadian RCMP published two advisories about the network in July and August 2024.[6][5]

Reactions

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Law enforcement

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According to Der Spiegel, 764-related arrests have been made for child pornography, kidnapping and murder in at least eight countries, including two men in Germany.[8] The FBI estimates that thousands of children have fallen prey to 764 and similar groups.[8] The Australian Federal Police claimed that they were intensifying efforts to disrupt networks linked to 764.[27]

A 22-year-old member of CVLT, Kaleb Christopher Merritt of Spring, Texas, kidnapped and raped a 12-year-old girl in Virginia in 2021. He was convicted and sentenced to 350 years in prison.[28][20][14] Cadenhead's splinter group also leveraged animal torture, incest, rape, self-harm, and bestiality from their victims.[1][12][13]

In November 2021, 22-year-old Angel Almeida of Queens, N.Y., was arrested for his implication in the network and possession of a firearm while being a felon.[22][21] Found inside Almeida's house was a bloodied piece of paper with a sketch of the Zodiac Killer alongside runic symbols and other memorabilia of the Order of Nine Angles.[22] Almeida's arrest tipped off law enforcement on the 764 network.[21]

17-year-old member Nino Luciano H., known as "Tobbz", livestreamed himself attacking an 82-year-old man in March 2022,[11] and two weeks later he livestreamed his fatal stabbing of a 74-year-old woman, whom he believed to be Roma, on a 764-affiliated Discord server.[23][29][30] This was allegedly so he could "prove himself" as a member of the "Maniac Murder Cult".[23] He was sentenced to 14 years in prison in August 2023.[11]

In March 2023, 17-year-old founder Bradley Chance Cadenhead pled guilty to nine counts of possession of child pornography.[31] An Erath County judge sentenced Cadenhead to an 80-year state prison sentence, citing his self-described status as a "cult leader".[32][10] After Cadenhead's arrest in August 2021, the group was led by 21-year-old from Timișoara, Romania named Francesco (nicknamed "Riley").[11] He was sentenced to three years in prison in August 2023 for production of child pornography, with the Romanian DIICOT citing the fact that he "subscribed to antisocial values from the Maniac Murder Cult".[23][11]

In March 2023, 18-year-old member Cameron Finnigan of Horsham, U.K., was arrested and charged for plotting to attack a homeless person.[33] He pled guilty to charges of encouraging or assisting suicide, possession of indecent images and two counts of criminal damage.[34]

In October 2023, a 14-year-old boy known as "Slain", who was a member of 764 and ran an offshoot named "No Lives Matter", was arrested after livestreaming eight attacks and three stabbings in Hässelby, Sweden.[35][36][37] In December 2023, an 18-year-old man from Honolulu, Hawaii, was arrested for running a 764 splinter group.[38][39][40]

In January 2024, the Brazilian Federal Police arrested two teenage leaders of a suspected splinter group in Ananindeua, Pará and Tabatinga, Amazonas.[41][16] The operation led by the federal police, codenamed "Discórdia", carried out seven search warrants in five Brazilian states.[41]

In January 2024, 47-year-old member Richard Anthony Reyna Densmore of Kaleva, Michigan, was indicted on federal child pornography charges.[2] Densmore, who was known as "Rabid" and ran a splinter group named "Sew3r", was later sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty.[42][15] Following Densmore's sentencing, Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division said that the group sought to do "unspeakable harm to children to advance their goals of destroying civilized society, fomenting civil unrest, and ultimately collapsing government institutions", he also classified the network as a "transnational threat".[43][12]

In February 2024, a 14-year-old from Lethbridge, Alberta who was linked to the network was arrested on charges of distributing child pornography, non-consensual distribution of intimate images, and possession of explosives.[44][45]

Kyle William Spitze, 24, of Friendsville, Tennessee, who was known as "criminal" on the network, was indicted on federal child pornography charges in March 2024.[20][46] Spitze garnered notoriety in 2023 for a video of his stepfather shooting him in the ear during an altercation.[46] In December 2024, he pled guilty to four of the eight crimes he was charged for.[47] He faces 30 years in prison and lifetime supervised release.[48]

In October 2024, New South Wales Police announced the arrest of a 28-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy known in Western Australia in connection with the network.[49][50] A 20-year-old alleged 764 member from Tucson, Arizona was arrested in December 2024.[51]

Civil society

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In August 2024, U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) pressed Discord regarding their "safeguard minors and stop the proliferation of violent predatory groups" in response to the FBI bulletin regarding 764.[52]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Argentino, Marc-André; Gay, Barrett; Tyler, M.B. (2024-01-19). "764: The Intersection of Terrorism, Violent Extremism, and Child Sexual Exploitation". GNET. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  2. ^ a b Belanger, Ashley (2024-11-08). "Discord terrorist known as "Rabid" gets 30 years for preying on kids". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  3. ^ "Feds bust leader of neo-Nazi cult who used Discord and Telegram to groom and exploit children". Business Insider. 22 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Satanic and neo-Nazi online cults targeting Aussie kids". dailytelegraph.com.au. 22 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b Government of Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (2024-08-27). "RCMP reminds Canadians about violent online groups targeting youth | Royal Canadian Mounted Police". www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  6. ^ a b c Government of Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (2024-07-19). "RCMP NL issues warning of violent online network targeting minors | Royal Canadian Mounted Police". www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  7. ^ Massman, Bradley (2024-02-08). "Man encouraged kids to commit 'sadistic acts' for his gratification, feds say". mlive. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  8. ^ a b c d e Höfner, Roman; Lehberger, Roman; Verschwele, Lina (2024-03-13). "(S+) Cybergrooming: Wie sich Sadisten weltweit in Chatgruppen zu Straftaten verabreden". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  9. ^ Tangalakis-Lippert, Katherine. "Feds bust leader of neo-Nazi cult who used Discord and Telegram to groom and exploit children". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  10. ^ a b c d Boburg, Shawn; Dehghanpoor, Chris (2024-09-09). "On social media, a bullied teen found fame among child predators worldwide". The Washington Post.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Winston, Ali. "There Are Dark Corners of the Internet. Then There's 764". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  12. ^ a b c Breen, Arielle (2024-11-07). "Kaleva man sent to prison for sexual exploitation of child". Manistee News Advocate. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  13. ^ a b c Hummel, Kristina (2024-09-11). "Nihilism and Terror: How M.K.Y. Is Redefining Terrorism, Recruitment, and Mass Violence". Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  14. ^ a b Roumeliotis, Ioanna; Mathieu-Leger, Laurence; Culbert, Andrew (2024-03-09). "Violent online groups are pressuring youth into harming themselves, authorities warn". CBC.
  15. ^ a b Winston, Ali. "764 Terror Network Member Richard Densmore Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  16. ^ a b c d e Lamoureux, Mack (2024-02-20). "The Vile Sextortion and Torture Ring Where Kids Target Kids". Vice. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  17. ^ "How online cults are coercing kids into horrific acts". The Nightly. 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  18. ^ Dekker, Mackenize (2024-11-07). "764: An organization the FBI wants every parent to know about and the dangers it poses". WWMT. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  19. ^ Boburg, Shawn; Verma, Pranshu; Dehghanpoor, Chris (2024-03-13). "On popular online platforms, predatory groups coerce children into self-harm". The Washington Post.
  20. ^ a b c Berg, Tina-Desiree (2024-03-13). "Sextortion Coms: Inside a Vile Child Exploitation Cult Run by Nazi-Linked Teens". Unicorn Riot. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  21. ^ a b c d Winston, Ali (2023-09-28). "A 23-year-old was arrested for gun possession. It led the FBI to a global Satanic cult". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  22. ^ a b c Lamoureux, Mack (2023-02-03). "Neo-Nazi Pedophilic Cult Member Allegedly Coerced Minors to Make Child Porn". VICE. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  23. ^ a b c d ""Am ucis pe cineva în video call". Rețeaua globală de tineri care își câștigă popularitatea online prin crime, pornografie infantilă și automutilarea victimelor". recorder.ro (in Romanian). 2024-03-13. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  24. ^ Winston, Ali. "Alleged 'Maniac Murder Cult' Leader Indicted Over Plot to Kill Jews". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  25. ^ "He was suicidal and needed help. A 15-year-old girl pushed him to kill himself on a live stream".
  26. ^ "Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | Violent Online Groups Extort Minors to Self-Harm and Produce Child Sexual Abuse Material". www.ic3.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  27. ^ "The new 'depraved' online threat that has cops on high alert". The Nightly. 2024-11-14. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  28. ^ Wyatt, Bill (2022-06-16). "Texas man sentenced in rape of Bassett girl". Martinsville Bulletin. Retrieved 2024-10-22. A Texas man has been sentenced to 350 years in prison for sex crimes with a 12-year-old Bassett girl after pleading guilty as charged earlier this year. Kaleb Christopher Merritt, 22, of Spring, Texas, will serve an active sentence of 33 years and be on probation for the remainder of his life when he becomes eligible for release.
  29. ^ Verschwele, Lina (2023-03-24). "(S+) Mordprozess in Rumänien: Warum ein deutscher Jugendlicher vor Gericht steht". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  30. ^ "Luciano, adolescentul care a omorât o femeie la Mediaș din motive rasiale - A fost arestat preventiv" (in Romanian). 2022-04-14. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  31. ^ Berge, Sara Vanden (2023-03-27). "Teen pleads guilty to 9 counts of possession of child pornography; sentencing hearing set for May". Beneath the Surface. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  32. ^ Berge, Sara Vanden (2023-05-17). "Wondering about that 80-year sentence given to an Erath County teen? Here's what you didn't know". Beneath the Surface. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  33. ^ Reynolds, Jordan (2024-04-03). "Teenager allegedly involved in satanic group '764' faces terrorism charges". The Independent.
  34. ^ "Horsham: Teenager admits five charges, including terror offence". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  35. ^ "Sadistgruppen "764" kan ha inspirerat mordförsöken i Hässelby". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 2024-09-13. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  36. ^ Editorial (2024-10-23). "Stockholm attacks linked to 'satanic internet cult'". The Nordic Times. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  37. ^ "Assignments linked to the 764 sect | Sweden Herald". swedenherald.com. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  38. ^ Lamoureux, Mack (2023-12-19). "Police Arrest Alleged Leader of Horrific Child Sextortion Ring". VICE. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  39. ^ Cite error: The named reference :142 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  40. ^ Cite error: The named reference :182 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  41. ^ a b "Adolescentes são apreendidos por esquema de abuso sexual e apologia ao nazismo, no PA e AM; VÍDEO | Pará". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  42. ^ "MI man sentenced for manipulating kids online to send violent, explicit images". FOX 17 West Michigan News (WXMI). 2024-11-07. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  43. ^ Winston, Ali. "764 Terror Network Member Richard Densmore Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  44. ^ "Boy, 14, charged following investigation into online extremist activity: Lethbridge police". Calgary. 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  45. ^ "Police warning parents and caregivers to be aware of violent online groups targeting children". Lethbridge Police Service. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  46. ^ a b "Court records reveal several new twists in case of Blount Co. man who was shot by his mother's boyfriend". wbir.com. 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  47. ^ Silva, Ken (18 December 2024). "Satanic Pedophile Exposed by Headline USA Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Charges". Headline USA. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  48. ^ WBIR Staff (10 December 2024). "Blount Co. man signs plea deal after being accused of violent, sexual crimes against children". WBIR-TV. Retrieved 22 December 2024. Once he formally pleads guilty, Spitze would face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and life on supervised release for two of the child pornography charges, seven years for the charge related to an "animal crushing video," and up to 20 years for a third child pornography charge. In exchange, Spitze would have some of his lesser charges dropped.
  49. ^ "Sex squad detectives: We arrested an alleged 'monster'". The Nightly. 2024-10-17. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
  50. ^ Cite error: The named reference :172 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  51. ^ "Arizona Man Associated with Online Terror Network Arrested for Production of Child Sex Abuse Material and Cyberstalking". justice.gov. 14 December 2024.
  52. ^ "Warner Demands Answers from Discord Over Violent Predatory Groups Targeting Virginia Teens". Mark R. Warner. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
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