Editor’s Note: This article mentions sexual violence against minors. Please read with discretion.
Justice Department attorneys arrested and charged two individuals suspected of running an international child exploitation enterprise allegedly linked with a nihilist extremism group.
Leonidas Varagiannis and Prasan Nepal were each arrested at the end of last month, the former in Greece and the latter in North Carolina. Both were allegedly involved with 764, a group that “seeks to destroy civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, which often include minors,” according to a release from the Justice Department.
“These defendants are accused of orchestrating one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises we have ever encountered, a network built on terror, abuse, and the deliberate targeting of children,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi commented. “We will find those who exploit and abuse children, prosecute them, and dismantle every part of their operation.”
They allegedly led a subgroup within 764 that communicated through encrypted messaging, as well as “directed, participated in, and otherwise caused the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material.” The defendants are accused of facilitating the grooming of the minors.
The young victims were allegedly ordered by Varagiannis and Nepal, under manipulations and threats, to perform violent sexual acts on themselves, such as carving symbols into their bodies.
Those who are in 764, an accelerationist group which desires social unrest and the collapse of the federal government, allegedly used the child sexual abuse materials as digital currency within the network. The defendants allegedly “instructed other members in grooming tactics and set content production expectations for new recruits” through their leadership roles in 764.
“These defendants allegedly recruited others to exploit children and created a guide for the disgusting online content they wanted,” FBI Director Kash Patel added. “Let me be very clear about our efforts. The FBI and our partners are determined to protect juveniles from predators, and we will track down and hold accountable those who engage in these criminal activities.”
