Maria desperately banged on the door, pleading with her 15-year-old daughter Trinity to come out. Through tears, Trinity finally opened the door to reveal the myriad of usernames and symbols carved into her skin, including a swastika. “Look what they've done to me,” she said, her voice thick with despair. “I can't take this anymore.” This heart-wrenching moment occurred on July 11, 2021, shortly after Trinity had livestreamed her attempt to commit suicide on a private Discord server, incited by a group of online predators. The group, notorious for exploiting vulnerable minors, called itself 764.
Despite reporting her exploitation to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) shortly after the incident, Trinity's case remains unresolved, and no charges have been laid against the perpetrators. This troubling reality highlights a disturbing pattern that has become increasingly evident in cases involving online predatory behavior.
As mothers everywhere would understand, Maria's efforts to get help for her daughter were met with skepticism. “We have tried to tell this story and nobody believes it. It’s too obscure, it’s too obscene,” Trinity stated, now a 19-year-old who wants to help others facing similar situations. Acknowledging that the issue was not fully understood back in 2021, Insp. Matt Johnson of the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) confessed, “It was difficult to be heard, it was difficult to be believed.”
So, what exactly is this group 764? They prey on vulnerable children primarily through platforms popular with minors, such as Minecraft and Roblox. These predators lure young people into private conversations on messaging platforms like Discord and Telegram, often disguising their intentions under the cloak of supportive spaces focused on issues like eating disorders or self-esteem. According to Marc-André Argentino, a senior researcher at Public Safety Canada, the grooming process exposes victims to violent content designed to desensitize them while also showering them with insincere affection.
Trinity’s personal journey with 764 began when, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was introduced to graphic content. This unsettling exposure ultimately led her to join a Discord server where she soon became entrapped by members of 764. They relentlessly showered her with attention, even calling her sweet names like “little princess,” fostering a sense of dependence that manipulated her further into their grasp. “They figured out how easy I am to manipulate,” she recalled, exposing the vulnerability that the group actively sought.
The psychological manipulation escalated quickly, with Trinity being coerced into self-harm and sharing sexually explicit images under threats to expose her secrets. “It was terrible blackmail,” she recounted, expressing the constant fear she felt as the demands became increasingly heinous.
This emotional turmoil culminated in an attempted suicide that prompted medical staff to involve law enforcement. When Trinity was hospitalized, doctors expressed alarm over her condition, resulting in police intervention. They documented the signs of abuse, taking photographs of her injuries and noting the tattoos of usernames carved into her skin. Although the police secured her devices for investigation, Trinity and Maria later faced frustration when forensic analysis stalled due to incorrect passwords.
“I was flabbergasted. You guys specialize in this. There’s no way that you couldn’t break into a child's phone,” Maria expressed her disbelief. The case languished for years without any significant resolution, leading the family into a prolonged fight for justice.
However, the story took a surprising turn three years later when Det. Abraham Basco from North Carolina reached out to Maria regarding her daughter’s case, as he had arrested a 764 member named Kierre Cutler. Basco discovered that Cutler had created his own splinter group within 764 and had been manipulating hundreds of minors online. During his investigation, Basco uncovered evidence linking Cutler to Trinity’s exploitation, discovering that some of the photographs he retained featured her.
When asked about their previous interactions with the RCMP, Maria felt a mix of relief and frustration as she met with law enforcement for the first time since Trinity’s suicide attempt. She asked them point-blank why they had failed to take her daughter’s case seriously. Their embarrassed stammering only reinforced her sense of betrayal. “I feel like: ‘Wow, you dropped the ball,’” she expressed bitterly.
The events memorialized in this narrative reflect a grievous failure on the parts of law enforcement and support systems in addressing child exploitation in the digital age. While the FBI issued its initial warning about 764 in September 2023, acknowledging it as a global threat to children, authorities—including the RCMP—have since classified 764 as a terror threat.
Even more alarming, their efforts now extend to understanding how these networks operate and shift their tactics in the face of law enforcement. Johnson admits, “You’re telling me that these people are trafficking child sexual abuse material, adhere to neo-Nazi satanic cult principles and also engage in terrorism? How strange does that sound?” The existence of individuals like Bradley Cadenhead—who founded the group and is serving an 80-year sentence—highlights the danger these predators pose.
As a war waged on children by the likes of 764 continues, the necessity for vigilance in monitoring online activities becomes increasingly urgent. Parents and guardians are called upon to be proactive, watching for drastic changes in a child’s demeanor, online secrecy, or reluctance to share their internet activities. Such indicators can signify a deeper problem than merely teenage rebellion.
“More than ever, as caring adults, we need to be present and engaged in our children's lives and be prepared to act swiftly,” cautioned Matt Richardson, an internet safety expert.
As Trinity continues her journey toward healing and recovery, she and Maria hope that their experience may one day serve not just as a cautionary tale but as a rallying cry for justice and reform. “I want my complete focus to be on stability,” Trinity shared. “I have gone through so much, so much, and I really need to settle down and find my common ground and live my best life.”
For those who suspect someone may be facing similar exploitation, help is available through various crisis helplines. Furthermore, if you or someone you know is being exploited, it's crucial to report it to national tip lines for online sexual exploitation of children.