FBI Boston says more extremists targeting kids on platforms including Roblox, Minecraft, Call of Duty
The Boston field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning parents about the rise of online extremists targeting children.
The networks are often referred to as "764," but the FBI says there are other violent groups motivated by an ideology referred to as Nihilistic Violent Extremism.
"You are trying to sow chaos to seek the destruction of society," said Ted Docks, the FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office, describing the ideology to WBZ-TV.
Docks said the FBI is investigating 350 suspects nationwide, and has thousands of cases. Suspects do not fit a perfect profile, but Docks said they are often young men, age 25 and under.
"They do it in a way in which, whether it's to gain clout, they get points in a sense. 'The more I can victimize my specific victim, I get kudos from this specific chat forum' and vice versa. Sometimes they team up with each other," Docks said.
Suspects use platforms like Roblox, Minecraft and Call of Duty
The FBI say suspects meet kids on gaming websites such as Roblox, Minecraft, and Call of Duty. They may also encounter them on social media sites like Discord.
Their tactics are sadistic. First, suspects befriend their victims and then they exploit them by encouraging them to produce sexual content, self-harm, commit suicide, and hurt others.
"They will send sexual abuse material to their subjects. They will also partake in animal cruelty. These are often times household pets where you will have animals that have been burned, maimed. You will have animals that have been drowned," Docks said.
In one case out of Washington D.C., suspects allegedly shared guidance with each other on how to get girls to cut themselves.
"This is full on carving within their bodies, they are brandings. People are carving the name of their subjects," Docks said.
Massachusetts charges
There has been one federal case against a suspect in Massachusetts, thus far. Joseph Pacheco, 23, from Everett, Washington is accused of sending child pornoghrapy and animal crush videos to a child in Worcester. Pacheco also allegedly made threats to kill the child and their family.
Leah Foley, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts said there are challenges with prosecuting these cases since many of the suspects are minors, themselves.
"The Juvenile Delinquency Act only allows us to charge minors for certain crimes of violence in certain cases," Foley said.
That is why Docks and Foley are encouraging parents, teachers, police, and other community members to keep a close eye on children.
"All parents needs to know what this is and that their child is vulnerable to being drawn into it," Foley said.
