How Disturbing Online Networks Like ‘764’ Highlight the Dark Web’s Dangers for Children

Parents, do you really know what your children are doing online?

If you’re uncertain, the reality might be alarming.

Recently, the FBI issued a cautionary alert about the rising danger of violent online networks aiming at minors.

These networks operate on gaming sites, social media, and self-help forums, where members shower their targets with attention.

Once grooming occurs, the victims face harrowing demands: to carve occult markings or their abusers’ names into their skin (a practice termed “fansigning”).

They may be coerced into sharing explicit videos or even torturing pets on camera.

Tragically, they might also be forced to livestream their suicides.

If victims attempt to break free, they can be doxxed, swatted, threatened with violence, blackmailed, or extorted.

Most victims are teenagers, while some are even younger.

This is the stuff of nightmares, and dismantling these toxic networks has become a national security priority in the United States and Europe.

Yet, many parents remain oblivious to their existence.

Networks with alarming names like 764, the Com, No Lives Matter, and the True Crime Community comprise a loosely connected subculture characterized by nihilistic violent extremism.

This is the darkest side of influencer culture, where prestige comes from generating the most disturbing content. Videos depicting beheadings, torture, and child exploitation circulate freely.

Engaging with ultra-violent content online often leads to real-world violence.

Consider the case of 17-year-old Solomon Henderson, who tragically shot a fellow student at his school in Antioch, Tennessee, in January, injuring two others before taking his own life.

He left behind a manifesto, a norm among online extremists.

Predictably, his manifesto and social media presence brimmed with tragedy, self-hatred, and rage, as well as imagery and references to nihilistic extremism and neo-Nazism.

It glorified school shooters he admired, including Natalie Rupnow, who killed two classmates and injured six more in December 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin, before taking her own life.

She participated in forums obsessed with school shooters and idolized past attacks.

Henderson’s identity as a black self-identified white supremacist and Rupnow’s status as a rare female school shooter highlight the fluid and perplexing nature of nihilistic violent extremism.

Crackdown Underway

Recently, two alleged leaders of the 764 network were apprehended—one in North Carolina and another in Greece—following an inquiry by the FBI, NYPD, and their allies.

They face allegations of directing minors globally to carve symbols into their bodies, create explicit videos, and engage in self-harm.

While these arrests are a victory, the threat persists.

A member of 764 in Kentucky recently pleaded guilty for plotting to kill a minor who refused to continue making coercive sexual videos.

An Arizona man associated with 764 allegedly forced a 13-year-old girl to carve his alias and satanic symbols into “every possible place” on her body, threatening to leak explicit images if she failed to comply.

In California, minors have been coerced into filming themselves engaging in torture rituals.

Even more tragically, today’s victims may transition into tomorrow’s aggressors.

A 15-year-old girl from Eastern Europe who persuaded a Minnesota man to livestream his self-immolation had previously been tormented by 764 before she became one of their recruiters.

These stories are not anomalies.

Over three years of investigating this threat, we’ve identified more than 500 cases—merely the tip of the iceberg.

In addition to apprehensions, the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force is proactively working to inform law enforcement worldwide about the perils of these networks.

NYPD detectives and FBI agents have briefed school officials and community partners globally, highlighting signs such as cutting, fansigning, isolation, doxing, swatting, and retaliatory bomb threats seen in schools since the pandemic.

This effort is urgent, essential, and evolving.

Be Vigilant

While law enforcement actively works to dismantle these networks, early intervention is crucial, beginning with those closest to the children—not just after a case is filed.

The reality is that arrests alone won’t suffice.

We need greater awareness.

Parents must grasp the threats that exist.

Teachers should be vigilant for warning signs.

Tech companies must take accountability for the incidents occurring on their platforms.

And survivors need assurance that they aren’t alone—that recovery is possible.

The silver lining is that healing is achievable.

We have assisted families in extricating their kids from these networks, providing a safe and supportive start anew.

When this occurs, we save not just one life; we shield future victims and prevent others from becoming perpetrators.

This demands vigilance, proactive intervention, and adults who are alert.

If you are a parent, inquire about your kids’ online activities.

Don’t just observe—engage.

If you are a teacher, don’t disregard unsettling symbols or noticeable withdrawal.

Ask questions.

If you are a friend, speak out.

This is a new form of extremism, rooted in the belief that nothing holds significance and that inflicting harm is the sole means of feeling anything.

We possess the power to stop it.

But only by recognizing its presence can we act.

Jessica Tisch is the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, with Rebecca Weiner serving as Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism.