When Christina’s 14-year-old daughter began chatting with other teens online, she thought little of it. After all, what parent hasn’t watched their child scroll through messages, assuming it’s all harmless fun? But within weeks, her daughter’s world—and Christina’s—was turned upside down. The culprit? A shadowy online network known as 764, an extreme right-wing Satanist group whose reach and methods have alarmed authorities on both sides of the Atlantic. As reported by BBC News, the group primarily consists of teenage boys and young men who seek to harm girls, using manipulation, coercion, and psychological terror as their tools.
Christina, whose name has been changed for privacy, recounted the harrowing descent: “I watched my mother get diagnosed with stage four breast cancer and fight for her life and it was not as hard to watch as it was to watch my daughter deteriorate. She deteriorated faster and worse than watching somebody essentially dying of cancer.” Her daughter had stopped sleeping, stopped eating, and began withdrawing from her family—classic warning signs that something was terribly wrong. The cause, Christina later learned, was the grip of 764, a group that persuades victims to perform sexual acts, self-harm, and even attempt suicide during live video calls while members watch.
According to BBC News, 764’s influence is not isolated. At least four British teenagers have been arrested in connection with the group, including Cameron Finnigan from Horsham, West Sussex, who was sentenced to six years in prison in January 2025. Finnigan pleaded guilty to encouraging suicide, possessing a terrorism manual, and indecent images of a child. He chillingly told police, “They extort people of race, mental health problems or if they are mentally vulnerable for anybody to really use.” The presiding judge, Mr Justice Jay, described Finnigan as posing “a high risk of serious harm to the public.”
The 764 network’s roots trace back to 2020, when it was founded by a 15-year-old American, Bradley Cadenhead. The name itself is a nod to the partial postal code of his Texas hometown. But what began as a small group has mushroomed into an international threat, with arrests linked to 764 for child abuse, kidnapping, and even murder in at least eight countries, including the UK. The group has adopted what police call a “militant accelerationist ideology,” aligning itself with far-right extremist networks that thrive on chaos and violence.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) in the UK has labeled groups like 764 as among “the most severe and serious online threats” it faces. Rob Richardson, deputy threat lead for online child sexual abuse at the NCA, told BBC News, “Being able to speak to the victims is often quite challenging from a law enforcement perspective. Victims don’t often recognize themselves as victims, so that makes it particularly difficult. Young girls are incredibly vulnerable.” He urges parents to stay involved: “The advice to parents is show an interest in what they’re doing online, using parental controls, and if possible try to have those non-judgmental conversations.”
The Molly Rose Foundation, established after the suicide of 14-year-old Molly Russell who was exposed to harmful online content, has also sounded the alarm. CEO Andy Burrows warned, “We know they are operating in plain sight on big platforms that most children in this country will be using every single day. These groups really are at the leading edge of the suicide and self-harm threat that our teenagers face.”
The threat is not just theoretical. In 2024, the FBI issued an unprecedented warning about 764, stating that it “uses threats, blackmail, and manipulation to control the victims into recording or live-streaming self-harm, sexually explicit acts, and/or suicide.” The FBI has since opened investigations into 250 individuals affiliated with 764 and similar groups. The scale of the problem is daunting, with law enforcement agencies struggling to keep up as group members get younger and their crimes more sophisticated.
But how can parents, teachers, and caregivers spot the signs that a child is being abused—whether by an online group or someone closer to home? As highlighted in a recent LADbible report, Dr. Nicol Stolar-Peterson, a Child Protection Expert Witness and Consultant, outlined several red flags. Changes in hygiene, being easily startled, fear of touch, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and shame are all potential indicators. Other warning signs include irritability, hypervigilance, anxiety, depression, intense fears, changes in clothing, regressive behaviors like bedwetting, and sexual knowledge that is not developmentally appropriate.
Stolar-Peterson also pointed out red flags in potential perpetrators: “A preference for spending time with children over adults, lacking in adult relationships, being disinterested in adult sexual contact, ‘spoiling’ a child with extra attention, gifts (often age inappropriate), providing alcohol, asking children to keep the secret and other secrets from another adult.” She emphasized, “Secrecy is the currency of perpetrators. Giving children the ability and the permission to reject unwanted touch by a family member or someone known to the child or the family is one of the best preventative measures a parent can take.”
The importance of vigilance is underscored by findings that one in five survivors of child sexual abuse never tell anyone, and those who do are far more likely to confide in family or friends than professionals. The Lucy Faithfull Foundation’s Stop It Now helpline and the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse both stress that it’s rare for anyone but the abuser and the survivor to witness abuse directly. Their message? Adults and carers must learn to recognize subtle signs and open lines of communication, so children feel safe to speak up.
Emily Victoria’s case, featured in the Channel 4 documentary A Paedophile in My Family: Surviving Dad (recently added to Netflix), is a painful reminder of how abuse can go undetected for years. Emily was abused by her father from age two to 18, with red flags—like a friend’s mother feeling uncomfortable around her father—overlooked. Emily herself admitted to feeling resentment toward her mother for missing the signs, even as she acknowledged her mother’s love.
For Christina and her daughter, the struggle is ongoing. “As a mum I felt alone. I was scared, I was helpless [and] hopeless,” Christina told BBC News. But with support, they are slowly rebuilding their lives. Authorities, meanwhile, urge families to stay alert, ask questions, and seek help if they suspect something is wrong. Resources such as the NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000), Childline (0800 1111), and Stop It Now (0800 1000 900) are available for those who need support or advice.
As the digital world becomes ever more entwined with daily life, the dangers children face online are evolving at a frightening pace. For parents, educators, and policymakers, the challenge is clear: stay vigilant, foster open conversations, and never underestimate the power of a listening ear.