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 US authorities.
The network, known as “764,” emerged in 2020 as a nihilistic extremist group with accelerationist goals, aiming to destabilize society through the exploitation of vulnerable youth, according to a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office.
According to the CBC, the group used encrypted messaging apps and has been linked to acts of psychological abuse, self-harm, and child sexual abuse in multiple countries.
Prasan Nepal, 20, of North Carolina, and Leonidas Varagiannis, 21, of Greece, were arrested in April 2025 and charged in Washington, D.C., with leading a subgroup known as “764 Inferno.”
Prosecutors claim 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 coerced into compliance, with content attributed to children as young as 13.
Law enforcement agencies in the United States and abroad are still investigating the network’s global reach. Officials say the arrests have caused panic among other 764 members, and they anticipate additional charges.
If convicted, Nepal and Varagiannis could face a minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison.
