Maine Teenager Is First Juvenile in the Nation to Be Federally Charged, Adjudicated, and Detained for Acts Related to Nihilistic Violent Extremist Groups in the 764 Network
September 1, 2026 - A 17-year-old from Maine is the first juvenile in the United States to be federally charged and adjudicated for acts of juvenile delinquency related to the teen’s role in online nihilistic extremist groups (NVE) connected to the 764 network. The juvenile was found to have committed multiple acts of juvenile delinquency, including conspiring to sexually exploit a child, sexually exploiting and enticing a child, distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), sending interstate threats, cyberstalking victims, and identity theft.
The teen, whose identity is not being revealed because the Juvenile Delinquency Act prohibits its disclosure, will serve a term of official detention to be followed by juvenile delinquent supervision.
“This first-in-the-nation case should make it crystal clear that if you conspire to commit violent, extremist crimes, your age will not shield you from accountability. What this juvenile did would shock most people to their very core, and it is our hope that by publicizing this case, others will be deterred from making the same devastating choices this teen did,” said Ted E. Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Know that your FBI is committed to finding and bringing to justice anyone utilizing such depraved and ruthless tactics to exert control and extort victims into performing increasingly degrading and violent acts and prevent more kids from becoming victims.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, like the Department of Justice as a whole, works hand in hand with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners to protect children from online threats,” said Andrew Benson, United States attorney for the District of Maine. “If you sexually exploit a child, the fact that you yourself are a minor will not protect you from the consequences of your actions.”
“The shocking and disturbing nature of the criminal conduct uncovered in this case—committed by a juvenile—required a forceful response to protect the public from predatory nihilistic violent extremism,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “This case makes clear, unfortunately, that parents must be vigilant, both to protect their children from the crimes of these extremists and to ensure their children do not fall into their influence.”
The FBI is now investigating over 500 subjects nationwide who are tied to violent online networks commonly referred to as 764, but there are many other offshoot networks and names. These networks of violent predators befriend minors and other vulnerable individuals through popular online platforms and coerce them into escalating sexual and violent behavior, including pushing victims to create graphic content and CSAM, sexually exploit siblings, harm family pets, cut themselves with sharp objects, or attempt suicide.
NVE refers to what is motivating most of these subjects to commit these crimes. Members of these NVE groups within the 764 network, including groups this juvenile belonged to, work in concert with one another towards a common purpose of destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations. They want to sow chaos and create social unrest.
“These groups actively target minors and are made up of a large percentage of minors. They are intentionally recruiting juveniles here in the U.S. to conduct criminal acts because, simply put, they think they can get away with it because historically, the federal justice system has rarely prosecuted juveniles. We’re here to tell you, they’re wrong, and if they don’t stop this abhorrent behavior, they too could find the FBI on their doorstep and themselves in federal court. We are going to do everything in our power to protect kids and ensure those who harm them don’t get away with it,” said Docks.
Earlier this year, FBI Boston issued a public service announcement warning parents, guardians, and caregivers about a sharp increase in these extremists targeting children and vulnerable victims online.
If you or someone you know is a victim of a crime using these kinds of tactics, retain all information from the incident such as usernames, email addresses, websites, or names of platforms used and immediately report it to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov. If anyone feels they are in imminent danger, please reach out to local law enforcement immediately.
FBI Boston
Kristen Setera
(857) 386-2905
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
