I’ve been struggling for some time with how to share this information because it’s one of the toughest topics I’ve ever discussed.
As someone who spends time researching and educating on topics of interpersonal and intrapersonal violence, I know more than my share of what humans are capable of doing to others, and the 764 Network keeps me awake at night.
Throughout history, parents and caregivers have been concerned about in-person strangers harming their children and teenagers. Some worry every time their child leaves the house. Unbeknownst to many, some of the worst predators are trying to enter their home through their child’s phone, gaming console, or laptop.
The 764 Network’s Victims
Members lurk online, posing as friends through compliments and commonalities. Their goal is to torment and gain power over minors. They represent one of the most dangerous online networks targeting minors today.
These loosely connected predators commit some of the most heinous acts one can imagine. Since 764’s inception, members have a pattern of sextortion, creation and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), stabbings, and more. In fact, a single member was recently convicted of 29 charges for acts against those as young as 11.
There are documented victims who were instructed to carve their abuser’s name into their own skin as an act of ownership. Other children were ordered to torture animals as proof of loyalty. A few were pushed toward suicide in front of members while on camera.
At the time I’m writing this, the FBI is investigating 450 members of the 764 Network for crimes against minors.
Though some involved with the 764 Network consider themselves neo-Nazis, they share no single political ideology. What they share is a nihilistic interest in cruelty, harm, and violence. You will find these predators frequenting seemingly benign sites such as Roblox and Minecraft.
The Path to Torment
The online preying typically begins the same for all 764 members. First, they find a vulnerable child, then strike up a conversation, and spend days or weeks building a seemingly real friendship. They claim to share the child’s interests and talk for hours while gaming. Others DM targets in their social media accounts. They validate their victim’s feelings, especially loneliness, being misunderstood, or not fitting in, while gaining the victim’s trust. They are patient, calculated, and insidious.
Once trust is established, they move the conversation to a private, encrypted platform where they gradually introduce the child to disturbing content consisting of gore, self-harm imagery, and common group language, framing it as something that “only cool people like us understand.” The victim is made to feel weak or rejected if they don’t watch.
Requests and Threats
Then come the requests for explicit photos or videos framed as a test of trust or a romantic gesture. The moment the innocent child or teen sends anything, the dynamic shifts and the predator begins threatening to send the images to the child’s school, friends, and family unless the victim complies with escalating demands. The demands? More images, in addition to live acts of self-harm, murdering their own pets, and other horrific acts.
Out of fear that their previous acts will be shared with family members, or that family members will be harmed or killed if they don’t comply, these young victims then often target others to spare themselves because they don’t realize their content is already being shared widely.
In January 2025, a 17-year-old at Antioch High School in Tennessee shot two students, one fatally, after posting audio claiming the attack was carried out on behalf of a 764-affiliated group. A teenager in Connecticut, once an honor roll student, was arrested after being manipulated into making bomb threats. Investigators found self-mutilation photos on her devices alongside images paying tribute to 764.
Warning Signs Every Parent Should Know
Look for clusters of changes, not just one.
Physical
- Unexplained cuts or scars, particularly on the arms or torso, especially if they appear patterned. Often, victims are made to carve names or messages on their bodies
- Wearing long sleeves in warm weather
- Sudden changes in hygiene or appearance
Dark Participation Essential Reads
Behavioral
- Increased withdrawal from family and real friends
- Intense secrecy around their phone or computer
- Unexplained mood swings, rage, or hopelessness
- A new fixation on death, darkness, or “not belonging”
- Unexplained injuries or deaths of pets
Digital and language
- Use of unfamiliar terms like CVLT, Lore, or 764
- A new online “friend” or “relationship” with someone your child has never met in person and is reluctant to discuss
- An obsessive desire to play particular video games or be on their cell phone
- Unexpected packages addressed to your child
What You Can Do Right Now
Oversee internet and gaming use
- Delay online gaming privileges and open internet access until your child is aware of online dangers
- Have regular conversations about internet safety and online predators
Talk to your child — without panic
- Keep communication open, not fear-based
- Ask about online friendships the same way you’d ask about school friendships.
Know the platforms
- Roblox, Minecraft, and other gaming environments are not inherently dangerous, but they are access points
- Discord and Telegram are where conversations escalate
- Familiarize yourself with what your child is using
Children often stay silent for fear of getting in trouble, so if your child discloses abuse or exploitation, do not punish them
- Make it clear that you will not be angry
- Provide reassurance that what has been done to them is not their fault
Report immediately
- If your child has been targeted, contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI
- You can also file a report with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at cybertipline.org
- Do not delete messages or devices. Preserve everything as potential evidence
- Call 988 if your child is in immediate mental health crisis. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text, 24 hours a day
