Two alleged leaders of a violent online cult have been arrested for running a global child exploitation network that forced underage girls to carve symbols into their bodies and produce sexual abuse material, according to U.S. authorities.
Known as "764," the network emerged in 2020 as a nihilistic extremist group with accelerationist goals, aiming to destabilize society through the exploitation of vulnerable youth, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office statement.
The group operated through encrypted messaging apps and was linked to acts of psychological abuse, self-harm, and child sexual abuse across multiple countries, CBC reported. Prasan Nepal, 20, of North Carolina, and Leonidas Varagiannis, 21, residing in Greece, were arrested in April 2025 and charged in Washington, D.C. with leading a subgroup called "764 Inferno."
Prosecutors allege the men groomed minors online, coerced them into self-mutilation, and distributed child sexual abuse material as part of a system of digital "lorebooks" traded within the cult. Victims were threatened and manipulated into compliance, with content traced to children as young as 13.
Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. and internationally are continuing to investigate the network's global reach. Officials say the arrests have caused panic among other members of 764, and they expect more charges to follow.
If convicted, Nepal and Varagiannis face a minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison.
