Two men have been arrested for allegedly leading a violent online child exploitation ring embedded in a global extremist network, following a sweeping international investigation led by President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ).
Federal officials said the accused targeted vulnerable minors through manipulation, coercion and sadistic abuse, using the disturbing content to build status and control within the dark web-based group.
The Department of Justice charged Leonidas Varagiannis, 21, and Prasan Nepal, 20, for their alleged role in operating a subgroup within the online transnational extremist network known as 764.
The DOJ identified the subgroup as “764 Inferno,” a faction accused of producing and distributing brutal child s*xual abuse material.
Varagiannis, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in Greece on April 29, as reported by The Blaze. Nepal was taken into custody a week earlier in North Carolina.
According to the DOJ’s affidavit, both men used encrypted platforms to lure emotionally vulnerable children online and manipulate them into creating explicit and degrading content.
The victims, many of them minors, were coerced through threats, blackmail and psychological pressure.
The affidavit alleges that victims were pressured into performing extreme self-harm, including carving symbols into their skin — known within the group as “cut signs” and “blood signs.”
The FBI reported that this abuse was documented and compiled into digital “Lorebooks,” which were treated as status symbols and digital currency within the 764 network.
These materials were traded and stored in encrypted “vaults,” helping members rise in rank and gain influence within the extremist group.
The DOJ confirmed that at least eight minors were victims in the case, with the youngest being only 13 years old.
According to investigators, the group’s activities went beyond online exploitation.
In several instances, victims were allegedly compelled to engage in acts of s*xual abuse, both virtual and in-person and to commit violent acts against others — including siblings and animals.
Some victims were also forced into suicidal behavior or even encouraged to commit murder.
Attorney General Pam Bondi described the case as one of the most disturbing ever prosecuted by the department.
“This is one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises we have ever encountered,” Bondi stated, according to The Blaze.
“We will find those who exploit and abuse children, prosecute them, and dismantle every part of their operation.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said the accused were not only participants in the abuse but actively recruited and trained others on how to exploit minors.
“Let me be very clear about our efforts,” Patel said. “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.”
Varagiannis has denied the allegations and is fighting extradition to the United States. His attorney, Xanthippi Moysidou, stated that he resided in Greece during the time the alleged offenses occurred.
“Therefore, Greek law and courts have jurisdiction over the case, and his extradition is explicitly prohibited,” Moysidou told the Associated Press.
The DOJ’s investigation into the broader 764 network remains ongoing.
