A Tucson, Arizona man has been charged in connection with 764, a digital network of suspected predators who use social media to blackmail children into hurting themselves and others for online bragging rights.
Baron Cain Martin, 21, was charged with 29 counts, including conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists; Conspiracy to kill, kidnap or maim persons in a foreign country; five counts of production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM); 11 cases of CSAM distribution; three counts of forcing and enticing minors to engage in sexual activities; Three cases of cyberstalking; Animal crushing and distribution of animal crushing videos; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; and participating in a child exploitation enterprise.
Martin is accused of being the leader of the 764, which the Department of Justice (DOJ) described as “nihilistic violent extremists”.
“The members of 764 want to desensitize youth to violence and break social norms regarding violence,” A. DOJ statement Reading. “They normalize the possession, production, and sharing of explicit CSAM and gore materials to corrupt and prepare their victims for future violence, gain notoriety among other members of the network, and spread fear for the purpose of disintegration in society to precipitate anarchy under the 764 ideology.”
Martin is charged with assisting terrorists “to carry out a conspiracy to kill or maim any person in a foreign country,” the statement added. In September 2022, he allegedly conspired with others to coerce and direct a person outside the US to maim and kill himself.
According to the DOJ, eight of the nine victims allegedly victimized by Martin were between the ages of 11 and 15.
Martin was arrested on December 11 and has been in custody since then.
“This man’s alleged crimes are unimaginably reprehensible and reflect the terrible threat of 764 – if convicted, he will face serious consequences as we work to dismantle this evil network,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in the statement. “I urge parents to remain vigilant about the dangers their children face online.”
FBI Director Kash Patel also accused Martin of posting “a guide for others to identify, groom, and extort their victims,” according to the statement.
The FBI has 250 open investigations in the groupInternational attacks reportedly include using Failed bomb attack at Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro,
