Prosecuting 764: An Examination of Federal and State Charges

US Attorney General Pamela Bondi described the violent extremist network 764 as “one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises we have ever encountered – a network built on terror, abuse, and the deliberate targeting of children”.

In December 2025, the FBI reported that it was actively conducting more than 350 investigations connected to 764 and other nihilist violent extremist (NVE) groups, while the number of victims is estimated to reach into the thousands globally and new cases continue to emerge.

Internationally, Canada is the first country to officially designate 764 as a terrorist entity under its Criminal Code thereby granting authorities expanded legal tools to disrupt their activities. In the absence of a similar U.S. designation, prosecutors are limited in the types of charges that can be applied to offenders.

In a new report on 764, NCITE researchers describe the nature of this emergent threat, including its origin, structure, and ideology, and summarize the current state of federal charges in the U.S. linked to 764.

READ THE FULL REPORT.

Collaborating NCITE Research Teams:

• Youth Mobilization
  Rottweiler, B. (PI), Clemmow, C. (co-PI), & Doctor, A. (co-PI)
• Prosecuting Illicit Threat Actors
  Hughes, S. (PI) & Harms, M. (co-PI)

Nature of the Threat

764 is an emerging threat that primarily employs sextortion tactics, including coercion, psychological manipulation, and enticement commonly leading to an escalating and self-perpetuating cycle of harm. Members deliberately target young and often vulnerable individuals on publicly available platforms, coercing them into recording or live-streaming acts of self-harm and sexually explicit behavior, including the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Both the victims and perpetrators of 764 tend to be young. Victims are typically aged between 11 and 17, although cases involving children as young as 6 have been reported while most perpetrators are under the age of 25, many are under the age of 18.

Unlike traditional extremist groups that are motivated by some political, religious, or ideological goals, individuals involved in 764 appear to be driven mainly by a fascination with violence and a deep hostility toward society. Their actions are often less about advancing a clear cause and more about gaining status and recognition within online communities that glorify harm and social breakdown.

This presents new challenges to U.S. law enforcement and prosecutors seeking to deter and disrupt the network, which presents unique challenges to traditional systems used to counter more conventional violent extremist organizations.

In response, NCITE researchers constructed a dataset comprising criminal charges, federal and state, in connection with 764 (and NVE more broadly) as part of a larger research portfolio examining emerging threats. The research team is examining the mobilization pathways of 764 members and challenges faced by law enforcement and prosecutors seeking to disrupt and dismantle the network. NCITE is working closely with end-users across the counterterrorism workforce to translate the research for practice.

Methodology

The report is based upon an open-source database constructed by NCITE. Cases were identified through systematic searches of news reporting, court filings, press releases, and public law enforcement statements.

Once potential cases were identified, links to 764 or NVE more broadly were confirmed by reviewing official state and federal court records and charging dockets. Federal and, where applicable, state, court records were collected and reviewed for all cases that met our inclusion criteria. Charges, cases status, and sentencing outcomes were coded and are described below.

Federal Cases

There have been 31 individuals publicly charged with federal crimes related to membership in 764 and precursor groups, CVLT and Greggy’s Cult. Of those, 22 cases were specifically linked to 764. Federally, the youngest member of 764 charged was 18 years old. 82% of 764 members who received federal charges were under the age of 25 years at the time of arrest. All individuals charged across 764, CVLT, and Greggy’s Cult were male.

The first federal indictment of a 764 member was in 2021. Three additional 764 members were federally indicted in 2023. All remaining federal indictments related to 764 occurred in 2024 and 2025. Over half of all 764 federal indictments were in 2025 – a 350% increase compared to 2024. All federal indictments in the U.S. related to CVLT and Greggy’s Cult occurred between January 2025 and December 2025, though their primary activity occurred between 2019 and 2021.

764, CVLT, and Greggy’s Cult members received 157 federal charges related to 20 criminal offenses. The most common criminal statute 764 defendants were charged with was the possession of or access with intent to view child pornography (18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(4)(b) and (b)(2)) (70%), while the most common criminal statute CVLT and Greggy’s Cult defendants were charged with was participation in a child exploitation enterprise (18 U.S.C. §§ 2252A(g)) (100%).

Examining the number of counts of a given offense can illuminate the magnitude of such offenses above and beyond the number of defendants charged with those offenses. Across the 157 counts applied to 764, CVLT, and Greggy’s Cult cases, the most frequent charges were for the exchange (distribution or receipt) of child pornography (18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1)), followed by charges for the possession of or access with intent to view child pornography (18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2)).

Across all charges, 59% (93) were for offenses related to child sexual abuse material. 19% (30) were related to the coercion, enticement, and sexual exploitation of a minor. 10% (16) of charges included a conspiracy enhancement, referring to offenses that involved more than one perpetrator.

Full results and implications of the charges are outlined in the full report.

Additional Resources

For more on Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE), check out NCITE's NVE landing page published in August following the NVE-inspired attack on the Annunciation Catholic School Church in Minneapolis.

NCITE Insights — On 764

Listen to Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, discuss 764, the neo-Nazi, satanic, largely NVE-inspired online community.

NCITE Insights — On NVE, Youth Recruitment and Mobilization

Listen to NCITE researchers Bettina Rottweiler, Ph.D., and Brenna Helm, ABD, discuss their burgeoning research on NVE and youth recruitment and mobilization to violent extremism. Read more about the research project.