The FBI is investigating over 350 cases nationwide linked to “764,” a violent online extremist network that federal authorities classify as “modern-day terrorism”.
Story Highlights
- FBI investigating hundreds of suspects connected to “764” violent online network targeting children
- At least 30 individuals charged in recent years with ties to 764 or affiliated networks
- Network uses threats and blackmail to force minors into self-harm, sexual abuse, and live-streamed violence
- Congressional lawmakers pushing for new federal legislation to close legal gaps in prosecution
FBI Labels 764 Network Modern-Day Terrorism
Federal investigators have classified the 764 network as “one of the greatest current threats to teens online” and a “new form of modern-day terrorism.” The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center issued a public service announcement in March 2025 warning of a “sharp increase” in activity by 764 and similar violent online networks. These groups operate globally across mainstream social media platforms and encrypted messaging channels, methodically targeting minors and vulnerable individuals through sophisticated grooming and extortion tactics.
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Systematic Exploitation Through Digital Coercion
The 764 network employs a calculated approach to victimization that begins with befriending targets on popular social platforms before escalating to blackmail and threats. Members solicit compromising images or personal information, then use doxxing, threats against family members, and exposure to force victims into increasingly severe acts. The network coerces minors into self-harm, sexual exploitation, animal cruelty, and other violent content, often live-streamed for recording and redistribution within the network for status and entertainment purposes.
Legal Gaps Hamper Federal Prosecution Efforts
Congressional hearings in 2025 revealed significant weaknesses in current federal statutes for prosecuting 764-linked crimes. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar testified that a 764-linked suspect was chargeable under German coercion laws but not under equivalent U.S. statutes for conduct associated with a victim’s suicide. This legal asymmetry has prompted lawmakers to call for new federal legislation specifically tailored to address 764-type conduct, arguing that such prosecutorial gaps “shouldn’t happen” when dealing with organized online terror networks targeting American children.
‘FBI Investigating Hundreds of Suspects Connected to Violent '764' Network’https://t.co/5RlTb2xPoz
— MarsColony (@MarsColony01) December 12, 2025
Ongoing Investigations Target Network Leadership
The DOJ has secured indictments in multiple cases tied to 764 operations, including a November 2025 arrest in the District of Maryland for sexual exploitation and cyberstalking charges. Federal prosecutors also charged five leaders of “Greggy’s Cult,” a related child exploitation enterprise, demonstrating the government’s approach to treating online abuse networks as organized criminal enterprises. Rather than pursuing a single coordinated takedown, authorities are incrementally targeting key members and cells while issuing public alerts to reduce victimization and warn parents about the network’s sophisticated recruitment methods.
This represents a critical test case for Trump administration law enforcement priorities, as federal agencies work to protect children from what investigators describe as terror-like tactics that exploit vulnerabilities in both technology platforms and existing legal frameworks designed before the emergence of such organized digital predation networks.
Sources:
Violent Online Networks Target Vulnerable and Underage Individuals
Five Leaders of “Greggy’s Cult” Charged with Sexually Exploiting Children on the Internet
Violent Extremist Network “764” Member Facing Federal Indictment for Sexual Exploitation
