On Thursday, the FBI’s Atlanta field office used a live news conference to sound the alarm about a violent online network known as “764,” which agents say is actively recruiting and coercing children on gaming and messaging platforms. According to officials, victims have been pressured into self-harm, animal cruelty and creating sexual material that is later used to extort them. The briefing cast the group as a growing, cross-border threat and urged parents to keep a much closer eye on how their teens are spending time online.
The Atlanta office said the session would walk through the group’s tactics and highlight ongoing local investigations. The event was livestreamed for Atlanta media, according to 11Alive.
FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown told reporters the network “started with the ideology that they wanted to desensitize, primarily children, to violence,” and said the Atlanta office has received dozens of tips since last fall. WSB-TV reported Brown’s remarks and local casework.
Federal prosecutors have already gone after alleged leaders tied to 764. In a 2025 complaint, the Department of Justice charged two suspected ringleaders, Leonidas Varagiannis and Prasan Nepal, describing 764 as a nihilistic violent-extremist network. The DOJ’s April 29, 2025, press release details the indictment and the alleged scope of the group’s abuse. Justice Department
Why investigators say the network is so dangerous
Investigators say 764 operates in encrypted channels and private chat rooms, where members are rewarded for escalating cruelty and for circulating child sexual abuse material as a kind of status symbol. The FBI has described the phenomenon as a new, organized threat and says it is handling hundreds of investigations tied to the network and its offshoots, while local reporting has put the number of active cases at more than 250. As ABC News has noted, federal officials have at times compared 764-style networks to a form of “modern-day terrorism” because of their transnational reach and ideological goals.
What parents in Atlanta should do now
Authorities urged parents to watch for sudden secrecy around phones or gaming systems, unexplained cuts or marks, withdrawal from family and friends, and other sharp behavioral changes. They advised families to save threatening messages, images and screenshots as potential evidence. Child-safety groups and law enforcement recommend reporting suspected exploitation to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center so investigators can trace and preserve digital leads. See resources from NCMEC and the ADL for guidance and hotlines.
Prosecutors say charges linked to 764 include operating an international child-exploitation enterprise along with related federal crimes. The DOJ press release notes that defendants face severe penalties, including potential life sentences if convicted. The Justice Department said the case is being handled through multi-office cooperation and Project Safe Childhood, which coordinates victim services and prosecutions. Justice Department
Anyone in Atlanta with information is urged to contact the FBI’s Atlanta field office or submit a tip online. Officials also asked the public to report suspected child exploitation through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3 or the NCMEC CyberTipline. The FBI and local partners say they will continue coordinating across field offices as investigations move forward.
