Prosecuting 764: Federal Charges in the U.S. Linked to 764 and Adjacent Groups
Abstract
A March 2026 open letter from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to the public expresses concern about a sharp increase in activity from the online nihilistic violent extremist (NVE) threat network “764”—part of an online network of groups across the globe that target youth. According to the FBI, 764’s extreme tactics include coercing minor victims into producing child sexual exploitation material, engaging in self-harm, inflicting harm on animals, and in some cases, coercing victims to commit suicide. Many of these groups encourage members to livestream or share videos of the minor victims engaging in these acts. The following brief summarizes federal cases in the U.S. associated with 764 and related sextortion groups within The Com network.