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FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that federal agents arrested two alleged ringleaders of “764” last week, a violent online network accused of targeting children through social media and gaming platforms.
In a statement posted Tuesday on X, Patel said the FBI is “cracking down hard” on the group, describing it as a federal law enforcement priority.
The arrests follow a March public service alert from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which warned of a surge in activity by 764 and similar online predator groups. The decentralized network systematically targets children via platforms like Roblox, Discord and other social media, grooming them to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM), inflict self-harm, or, in some cases, die by suicide on camera.
The warning also described the group’s tactics as a form of “nihilistic violent extremism,” driven by a desire for status, domination or cruelty. Members often circulate graphic content in closed online groups and host “watch parties” of live abuse. Victims have been as young as nine years old.
One of the most alarming cases emerged in Vernon, Connecticut, where police arrested a teenage girl allegedly involved in the network after she issued bomb threats and shared violent imagery.
“They want to sow chaos,” said FBI Counterterrorism Chief David Scott in an interview with ABC News. He added that all 55 FBI field offices currently have open investigations linked to the 764 network.
While the group’s founder, Bradley Cadenhead, is serving an 80-year prison sentence in Texas for child pornography, the network continues to evolve. Recent Justice Department cases show members using folders labeled “trophies,” “ISIS,” and “kkk-racist” to glorify violence, mass shootings, and racial hate—part of a deliberate effort to rebrand and evade detection.
In response, the FBI is urging parents to stay alert to warning signs, including sudden isolation, unexplained injuries, and suspicious online behavior. Authorities are encouraging the public to report incidents through IC3.gov, the CyberTipline, or local FBI field offices.
“The criminals in these networks use online platforms to target vulnerable kids, coerce victims, and recruit others,” Patel wrote.
“Those who come after America’s children will face justice. We will be relentless in pursuing them.”
