FBI investigating more than 350 subjects tied to violent online '764' network

The FBI has launched a probe into the violent online grid known as with the bureau scrutinizing more than subjects Fox News has learned The FBI described in a message as being a loosely organized online configuration that coerces minors and other vulnerable individuals into acts of violence self-harm and sexual exploitation The FBI remains concerned about these loose networks of violent predators who befriend minors and other vulnerable individuals through popular online platforms and then coerce them into escalating sexual and violent behavior pushing casualties to create graphic content child sexual abuse material CSAM harm family pets cut themselves with sharp objects or attempt suicide Specific of these predators even watch livestreamed self-harm and other violent content the bureau declared in a comment provided to Fox News As part of the FBI's effort to counter the violent online configuration the bureau is providing training to personnel in all of its field offices Additionally the bureau declared that it is working with law enforcement partners at home and abroad to identify the alleged perpetrators and hold them accountable DOJ BUSTS GREGGY S CULT CHILD EXPLOITATION INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ALLEGEDLY COERCED KIDS INTO SELF-HARMThe U S Attorney's Office for D C stated in April that two alleged leaders of were arrested and charged Leonidas Varagiannis also known as War a U S citizen residing in Greece and Prasan Nepal also known as Trippy of North Carolina were charged for allegedly operating an international child exploitation enterprise The two face life sentences if convicted These defendants are accused of orchestrating one of the most of heinous online child exploitation enterprises we have ever encountered a organization built on terror abuse and the deliberate targeting of children Attorney General Pam Bondi stated in a announcement announcing Varagiannis and Nepal's arrests We will find those who exploit and abuse children prosecute them and dismantle every part of their operation FBI TARGETS DANGEROUS ONLINE ' ' SETUP INCLUDING ALLEGED AFFILIATE PREYING ON -YEAR-OLDS TEENSIn August the FBI's Los Angeles field office informed the arrest of a suspected member The suspect -year-old Dong Hwan Kim was accused by several minor females of coercing them into sending him videos and photos of themselves engaging in sexual acts according to FBI Los Angeles After enticing the underage girls into making child sexual abuse material CSAM Kim would allegedly demand they send more explicit content and threaten to send naked photographs to the victims' family and others or post them online The FBI Los Angeles field office noted that in a search agents identified several CSAM videos and photos in the suspect's possession as well as evidence that he shared the content with others Kim was charged with possession of child pornography and faces up to years in federal prison On Dec Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley R-Iowa and Ranking Member Dick Durbin D-Ill introduced three bills targeting sentencing laws violent online criminal networks and child sextortion One of the bills known as the Ending Coercion of Children and Harm Online Act ECCHO Act would create a penalty of up to life in prison if the offense involves the actual or attempted suicide by the victim or the death of another person as well as a -year maximum penalty for harmful conduct that does not involve a death according to a message from Grassley's office In addition to the ECCHO Act the senators also introduced the Sentencing Accountability for Exploitation Act SAFE Act and the Stop Sextortion Act The SAFE Act aims to change sentencing guidelines for CSAM so it accounts for modern indicators of especially dangerous conduct The Stop Sextortion Act would target offenders who threaten to distribute CSAM to intimidate extort or coerce children Under the bill the maximum penalty for these offenses would be increased from five to years