FBI Dallas is warning parents, guardians, and teachers about what it calls \u201ca growing safety threat\u201d from violent online networks that target children through gaming and social media platforms.<\/p>\n
In an open letter<\/a>, FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Joe Rothrock said networks commonly referred to as \u201c764\u201d often connect with minors online, build trust by posing as friends, and then coerce them into harming themselves or others.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to share some important information about a growing safety threat from violent online networks commonly referred to as \u2018764,\u2019\u201d Rothrock wrote.<\/p>\n FBI Says Networks Target Children Online<\/p>\n Violent online networks such as 764 operate globally, including in North Texas, according to FBI Dallas.<\/p>\n \u201cThey coerce victims into sharing personal information and explicit pictures and videos, which are then used to blackmail their victims into creating more content depicting escalating sexual and violent behavior,\u201d Rothrock wrote.<\/p>\n FBI Dallas said members of these networks sometimes livestream the content. If victims refuse to comply, their images or videos may be sent to family members or posted online. The Bureau said victims may also be threatened through swatting, doxxing, or vandalism.<\/p>\n The FBI is investigating more than 450 subjects tied to violent online networks, Rothrock said.<\/p>\n \u201cHere in North Texas, FBI Dallas is aggressively investigating violent online network members and working with prosecutors to hold these criminals accountable,\u201d Rothrock wrote.<\/p>\n Prior Cases Show The Risk<\/p>\n The warning comes after several cases and investigations involving online child exploitation networks.<\/p>\n As previously reported<\/a> by The Dallas Express, the FBI recently offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Austin Jan Sy Yatco, a former Plano man accused of participating in an online group that coerced minors into producing child sexual abuse material.<\/p>\n Federal authorities accused Yatco of participating in Greggy\u2019s Cult, an online network that prosecutors say targeted vulnerable children through gaming and social media platforms. Prosecutors alleged members coerced minors into self-harm, animal cruelty, sexual exploitation of siblings, and, in some cases, attempted suicide.<\/p>\n The Dallas Express also previously reported<\/a> on the 764 network in a 2025 episode of \u201cGoing Rogue with Lara Logan,\u201d which explored how online predators allegedly use blackmail, manipulation, extremist content, and digital communities to coerce and exploit vulnerable children.<\/p>\n The threat is part of a broader online child exploitation problem. As previously reported<\/a> by The Dallas Express, Operation Soteria Shield, a month-long statewide law enforcement operation led by the FBI Dallas Division, the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, resulted in 109 children rescued and 244 suspects arrested.<\/p>\n