A case that until recently seemed like an urban legend of the dark internet is now taking on tangible dimensions in our country. The 21-year-old who was arrested along with another young man in Thessaloniki was today found to be temporarily detained, accused of being a leading member of the “764” organization, an international circuit that operates via the Internet for sexual exploitation of vulnerable groups of children and the trafficking of child pornography.

According to US documents and reports by the Washington Post, Guardian, and Associated Press, the “764” network is considered by US authorities to be one of the most dangerous extremist communities on the internet. The FBI describes it as violent, nihilistic, and extremist, and has opened more than 250 investigations into cases related to its activities. The ring reportedly targets children aged 8 to 17, mostly black teenagers, members of the LGBTQ+ community, or juveniles with mental disorders.

The name “764” appears to have been derived from a Texas area zip code where the early cells were active. From there, the organization spread internationally, creating a network that combines elements of sexual abuse, online radicalization, and violence. Researchers describe the participants as “online predators” operating through platforms such as Discord, Telegram, and gaming apps, where they track down their victims.

After gaining access, members of the ring use psychological pressure, threat, and blackmail to force children to perform or record heinous acts: self-harm, sexual acts, or scenes of violence. This material, according to the US Department of Justice, acts as “currency” within the organisation as a form of reward that increases the prestige and “hierarchical position” of each member.

In 2024 and 2025, a series of investigations revealed the network’s operating mechanism. In California, 47-year-old Richard Anthony Reyna Densmore was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor and participating in the management of 764 platforms. In Germany, a 20-year-old man was arrested in Hamburg, accused of encouraging the suicide of a 13-year-old child via the group on live TV. And in the United States, the case of the ring’s leaders, L.V. and P.N., led the FBI to cooperate internationally with Greek authorities.

V. had been located in Thessaloniki last April, and U.S. authorities twice submitted a request for his extradition to the U.S., which was rejected by the Supreme Court of Appeals, as he was found to be a Greek citizen and the offenses were allegedly committed in Greece. Today’s decision on the temporary detention of the 21-year-old Greek-American concerns the same case. The young man, who is considered by US authorities to be a leading member, apologized to the 6th regular interrogator of Thessaloniki, but denied any involvement in the organization and claimed that he had only entered the offending platform as a visitor when he had been at the home of his 18-year-old co-defendant. The FBI had twice requested his extradition to face trial in the US, but the requests were rejected. The Court of Appeals of Thessaloniki ruled that since the accused is a Greek citizen and the alleged offences were committed within Greek territory, the Greek judicial authorities are competent to try the case.

The two young men are facing serious charges: membership of a criminal organisation, grievous bodily harm to weak persons, pornography of minors, and revenge pornography, all of which were committed serially and jointly.

According to the case file, members of the group approached underage victims through online platforms, who were then coerced to “share” videos with scenes of sexual violence, self-harm, and other heinous acts. The case has caused worldwide concern, as the US authorities have referred to a new phenomenon of digital extremism, where pornographic content is combined with violence, hatred, and sadism.

“764 is not just a pornography group, but a network of violence and psychological domination, a senior FBI official had told the Washington Post. From Texas to Thessaloniki, 764 proves that the darkness of the internet knows no borders. Behind a simple screen, a global network of horrors is revealed, exploiting anonymity and technology to destroy lives.