FBI considers 764 terror network a top threat to kids online.
Credit: NurPhoto / Contributor | NurPhoto
A Michigan man who ran chat rooms and Discord servers targeting children playing online games and coercing them into self-harm, sexually explicit acts, suicide, and other violence was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday.
According to the US Department of Justice, Richard Densmore was a member of an online terrorist network called 764, which the FBI considers a “tier one” terrorist threat. He pled guilty to sexual exploitation of a child as “part of a broader indictment that charged him with other child exploitation offenses.” In the DOJ’s press release, FBI Director Christopher Wray committed to bring to justice any abusive groups known to be preying on vulnerable kids online.
“This defendant orchestrated a community to target children through online gaming sites and used extortion and blackmail to force his minor victims to record themselves committing acts of self-harm and violence,” Wray said. “If you prey on children online, you can’t hide behind a keyboard. The FBI will use all our resources and authorities to arrest you and hold you accountable.”
Densmore’s group, 764, gained notoriety for grooming young victims they found on social media. Members like Densmore seek “fame” within the group, the DOJ said, by demanding “victims engage in and share media of self-mutilation, sexual acts, harm to animals, acts of random violence, suicide, and murder, all for the purpose of accelerating chaos and disrupting society and the world order.”
US Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten said in the DOJ’s press release that Densmore’s case represented “a new and depraved threat against our kids and our communities: violent online extremists who manipulate their minor victims to commit self-harm and create sexually explicit images.”
Ars Video
What Happens to the Developers When AI Can Code? | Ars Frontiers
“While we will always fight to hold criminals like Richard Densmore accountable, we want to prevent this crime as much as possible,” Totten said. “Parents: please talk with your children about this threat; monitor their social media use; and let them know they can always come to you if they mess up.”
Densmore likely motivated by fame
Online, Densmore was known in so-called “Sewer” communities under the alias “Rabid.” During their investigation, the FBI found that Densmore kept a collection of “child pornography and bloody images of ‘Rabid,’ ‘Sewer,’ and ‘764’ carved into victims’ limbs, in some cases with razor blades and boxcutters nearby.” He also sexually exploited children, the DOJ said, including paying another 764 member to coerce a young girl to send a nude video with “Rabid” written on her chest. Gaining attention for his livestreams, he would threaten to release the coerced abusive images if kids did not participate “on cam,” the DOJ said.
“I have all your information,” Densmore threatened one victim. “I own you …. You do what I say now, kitten.”
In a speech Thursday, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen described 764 as a terrorist network working “to normalize and weaponize the possession, production, and distribution of child sexual abuse material and other types of graphic and violent material” online. Ultimately, by attacking children, the group wants to “destroy civil society” and “collapse the US government,” Olsen said.
People like Densmore, Olsen said, join 764 to inflate their “own sense of fame,” with many having “an end-goal of forcing their victims to commit suicide on livestream for the 764 network’s entertainment.”
In the DOJ’s press release, the FBI warned parents and caregivers to pay attention to their kids’ activity both online and off. In addition to watching out for behavioral shifts or signs of self-harm, caregivers should also take note of any suspicious packages arriving, as 764 sometimes ships kids “razor blades, sexual devices, gifts, and other materials to use in creating online content.” Parents should also encourage kids to discuss online activity, especially if they feel threatened.
“If you are worried about someone who might be self-harming or is at risk of suicide, please consult a health care professional or call 911 in the event of an immediate threat,” the DOJ said.
If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or in distress, please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline number, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), which will put you in touch with a local crisis center.
