The FBI says a shadowy online network called “764” is preying on children, coercing them into acts of self-harm and, in some cases, encouraging them to end their lives. Speaking before Congress on September 17, 2025, FBI Director Kash Patel described the group as a “nihilistic violent extremist” organization a label rarely applied to networks without a traditional political or religious ideology.
“This network convinces children to maim and mutilate themselves and commit suicide,”
Patel said.
“We are producing record numbers of arrests under that umbrella organization.”
Patel told lawmakers that the FBI has roughly 250 open investigations tied to 764 across its field offices, underscoring what he called a growing domestic and international threat.
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Authorities announced 764 branched off last 2021 headed by leader Bradley Chance Cadenhead who is then a 15-year-old Texan who was a member of exploit Discord channels. From such channels, it branched off to others popular among teenagers Discord, Roblox, Instagram, Snapchat, and Telegram.
Leaks by Wired, The Washington Post, and Der Spiegel reveal 764’s modus operandi luring teenagers into one-on-one conversations, flattering their issues with. self-harm, after which pushing them to increase. Members demanded disturbing “proof” of illegal activity to gain entry, including videos of self-injury.
The FBI and Justice Department say the group trades these videos in “lorebooks” archives of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), gore, and coerced self-harm which are used to recruit, reward, and control members.
Law enforcement has linked the 764 network to both child exploitation and violent activities. In April 2025, prosecutors charged Leonidas Varagiannis, known as “War,” and Prasan Nepal, known as “Trippy,” with running an exploitation scheme that targeted at least eight minors, some as young as 13, according to a Justice Department affidavit.
In 2024, another member, Richard Densmore, received a 30-year prison sentence for related crimes. FBI Director Kash Patel also said agents intervened to stop a 764 member who had planned to harm a teenage girl that individual is now in custody. Court documents describe how members used manipulation, threats, and pressure to force victims into creating harmful content, with some cases connected to tragic outcomes, including school violence and child deaths in the U.S.
The FBI and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) have documented a sharp rise in related cases. Reports to the CyberTipline increased by 200% between 2023 and 2024, with nearly 1,300 reports in 2024 alone tied to networks like 764.
Patel also noted a broader surge in cybercrime, citing a 20% increase in child exploitation arrests this year.
“Our cyber threats, ransomware attacks, those harming our children are online,”
he said.
The decision to classify 764 as a “nihilistic violent extremist” (NVE) group has sparked debate. Law enforcement says the term helps capture the blend of sadism, exploitation, and ideological contempt for society that defines the group.
Some experts warn the label is vague. Civil liberties advocates argue that expanding the definition of extremism risks blurring the line between criminal exploitation and political violence.
Still, Patel insists the categorization reflects the gravity of the threat.
“Transparency remains one of my main priorities at the FBI,”
he told lawmakers.
“I’m dedicated to restoring trust and the mission and the integrity of the FBI.”
Authorities emphasize secrecy and internet access for 764. Parents should monitor their children’s internet activity closely, primarily on text and internet gaming sites where recruitment has been documented.
Report any suspicious activity to tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI. Suspected child exploitation is also to be reported to the NCMEC Cyber Tipline.
These arrests and related investigations reveal that despite some parts of 764 having been taken down, its non-hierarchical structure and its affiliation with extremist subcultures such as the Order of Nine Angles suggests offshoots as well as copycat cells still thrive.
For the FBI, it’s about doing something beyond chasing down criminals but also informing families about threats right in front of their eyes.
