The neo-Nazi 764 cult is targeting kids as young as 9. Here are the warning signs your child is a victim, according to the FBI
The Bureau has hundreds of open cases against the group known as '764' – a cult-like network with ties to neo-Nazis and Satanism whose members 'methodically target and exploit minors' after contacting them on gaming chatrooms, social media and phone apps.
764 is the largest network — with 250 active cases, at least one in every single FBI field office, ABC News reported.
But there are others, as well.
8 A photo of a nude barbie with '764' on its forehead taken by a teen victim of the sextortion network.
Vernon Police Department)
8 764 propaganda that was shared on Telegram
8 Bradley Cadenhead, who went by Felix and Brad764 online, created 764 in 2020.
Erath County Jail
'These networks use threats, blackmail, and manipulation to coerce or extort victims into producing, sharing, or live-streaming acts of self-harm, animal cruelty, sexually explicit acts, and/or suicide,' the FBI said Tuesday in a public service announcement.
Members then circulate the disgusting photos and videos amongst themselves and threaten to post them publicly to keep their victims under control.
Some warnings signs could be associated with regular teenage angst — while others are more disturbing. Here's what the FBI is warning parents to watch out for.
Kids engaging in self-harm or expressing suicidal thoughts
Suddenly becoming more withdrawn and moody
Sudden changes in eating, sleeping and dressing habits
Pets being harmed or dying under mysterious circumstances
Kids mutilating themselves by carving words or symbols into their skin
Writing in blood, or anything that looks like blood
The 764 cult is an outgrowth of an older, larger organization known as the Order of Nine Angles, which has ties to neo-Nazism and Satanism. Its founder, Bradley Cadenhead, was just 15 when he formed the group in 2020, naming it after part of his own zip code.
8 764 propaganda that was shared on Telegram.
8 Mugshot of Prasan Nepa Leonidas Varagiannis, an accused 764 ringleader arrested last month.
U.S. Department of Justice
The FBI has described them as 'nihilistic violent extremists … seeking to destroy civilized society,' yet their actual ideology seems to be all over the place.
'Some threat actors may be engaging in criminal activity solely for sexual gratification, social status, or a sense of belonging, or for a mix of other reasons that may not be ideologically motivated,' the agency said.
The widespread targeting of kids have become a huge focus for cops who focus on online activity, Rebecca Weiner, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism, told The Post.
Weiner said the number of active cases will only rise as arrests and the seizures of computers and phones provide officers with more leads on the activities of these demented predators.
8 A later mugshot of Bradley Cadenhead.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
8 A general view of the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building or FBI Headquarters in Washington D.C.
Christopher Sadowski
8 A vehicle outside the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building or FBI Headquarters in Washington D.C.
Christopher Sadowski
Last year, police in Vernon, Connecticut, arrested a 17-year-old girl for allegedly calling in bomb threats and 'swatting' pranks against schools and places of worship, NBC Connecticut reported.
Investigators discovered photos of her posing nude, mutilating herself, and a shot of a nude Barbie doll with '764' written on its face.
Authorities arrested two suspected 764 members last month: Prasan Nepa Leonidas Varagiannis, a.k.a. 'War,' 21, and Prasan Nepal, a.k.a. 'Trippy,' 20.
The pair are accused of targeting children as young as 13 years old online, intimidating them into making explicit videos.
'This content includes 'cut signs' and 'blood signs' through which young girls would cut symbols into their bodies,' the FBI said in a statement.
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