FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—The FBI is warning parents about a sharp increase in activity from an extremist group called “764” that targets minors online.
The network was started by a Texas teen named Bradley Cadenhead in 2021. He is now serving 80 years in prison, but the network and its offshoots live on.
These networks use threats, blackmail and manipulation to get young people to produce, share, or live-stream acts of self-harm, animal cruelty, sexually explicit acts and even commit suicide. The videos are shared among members of 764 and used to get victims to continue to provide additional footage.
Steven Thames, a special agent with the FBI in Tampa, is familiar with 764.
“It’s basically a decentralized, violent network organization focusing on targeting young children, from maybe about 12 to about 25-year-olds, with the goal of being kind of everything from a financial to a violence to sow chaos throughout the entire U.S. and also global too,” Thames said.
There are hundreds of current cases in the U.S. This is a problem right here in Southwest Florida.
“The locals and states here are dealing with this problem. This is a U.S., but it’s also an international problem, too,” Thames said. “Our partners are trying to comprehend, really, what is going on, but it is a problem here in Florida.”
Parents and guardians should be on the lookout for any signs their children are being targeted or are already victims.
Warning signs include sudden behavior changes such as becoming withdrawn, moody or irritable, changes in appearance, neglect of appearance or hiding specific body parts, and changes in eating or sleeping habits.
Other red flags include signs of animal cruelty, threatening to commit suicide, talking about not being wanted or not being around, fresh cuts, scratches, bruises, bite marks or burns, being doxed with personal information online and unexplained gifts or packages arriving to the home.
Parents should monitor their children’s online activity and maintain open communication about potential dangers.
The FBI encourages anyone with information about 764 activity to contact local law enforcement or the FBI immediately.