Leader of Child Sextortion Network 764 Pleads Guilty in US Federal Court

Prasan Nepal, 21, of North Carolina, has pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child, the US Justice Department said. Known online as "Trippy", he helped establish the group 764 as a teenager and emerged as its leader, running it for almost four years until his arrest last year. Under a plea agreement, he faces a minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison at sentencing.

The Justice Department describes 764 as a network of nihilistic violent extremists that exploits vulnerable people, often minors. According to court records, Nepal and alleged co-conspirator Leonidas Varagiannis, who was arrested in Greece last year, controlled membership and access to a highly involved subgroup called "764 Inferno". Nepal admitted to instructing members on how to exploit children, requiring prospective members to produce and share abusive material and acts of violence, and ordering victims to harm themselves. Prosecutors accused the pair of exploiting at least eight minor victims, some as young as 13, across multiple jurisdictions.

Threat researchers say 764 members are affiliated with "The Com", a global collective of loosely associated groups that commit financially motivated, sexual and violent crimes. This report covers only the opening of the original article, so further details of the case are not included here.