764 extremist network leader pleads guilty to sexual exploitation of minors

Prasan Nepal, 21, a leader of the 764 violent extremist network, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to sexually exploit children, according to the Department of Justice. Nepal and co-defendant Leonidas Varagiannis served as core leaders of 764, a global online network involved in the production and sharing of child sex abuse material and extreme gore media.

Between approximately 2021 and 2025, the defendants allegedly used encrypted platforms to coordinate the exploitation of minors, manage recruitment, and enforce network rules. The DOJ stated that Nepal and Varagiannis were also leaders of a subgroup known as 764 Inferno. The network reportedly used encrypted apps to identify, manipulate, and coerce vulnerable minors, including children as young as 13.

According to investigators, the group’s activities included the distribution of exploitative material and the coercion of victims into acts such as self-mutilation, animal cruelty, and sexual acts. FBI Director Kash Patel noted that dismantling the 764 network is a top priority, reporting a nearly 500 percent increase in 764-related arrests last year through cooperation with state and local partners.