FBI warns of growing online threat pushing young girls toward self-harm

The FBI has issued a warning to Colorado law enforcement and schools about a dangerous nationwide trend targeting children.

Supervisory Special Agent Ash Thorne from the FBI’s Denver office is tracking what the agency calls an online predator trend. Individuals and groups are working to gain control over kids, often leading them to harm themselves or others. According to the FBI, the majority of victims are young girls.

“Unfortunately, we have cases now in every FBI field office across the country, and that’s just what we know about. I speculate that there are many, many thousands more,” Thorne said.

Thorne, who oversees the FBI’s domestic terrorism program, said the behavior qualifies as terrorism. The perpetrators manipulate and pressure girls into sending sexually explicit images or videos, which are then used to blackmail them into continuing the abuse.

“When a kid tries to stop or says no, these predators retaliate by exposing the content to the victim’s friends. There’s a real fear because these criminals gain status based on how many victims they have. We’ve seen children and vulnerable individuals take their own lives out of fear,” he added.

One of the groups behind this disturbing trend is known as 764. Thorne said it began as an online nihilistic gang that initiates members by encouraging them to build relationships with children. Over time, they isolate these kids from their families and friends, then pressure them into sending explicit content, self-harming, or even hurting their pets.

“That’s just one of the names these individuals go by. The ideology is nihilistic — the belief that life has no meaning. What started as a neo-Nazi and satanic ideology has evolved into chaos for chaos’ sake. If life has no purpose, violence becomes acceptable,” Thorne explained.

Thousands of individuals are now targeting kids — often girls as young as 10 — not just on the dark web, but through gaming chats, social media, and even email.

Thorne said it’s hard to track and stop the perpetrators because many operate from overseas using VPNs to hide their locations.

“But there are steps we can take. We’re training our agents to recognize and handle these cases, working closely with federal, state, and local partners, and educating school staff, resource officers, teachers, and parents to spot the warning signs,” Thorne said.

He stressed that parents must go beyond setting parental controls. They need to know who their kids are talking to and watch for signs like withdrawal from normal activities, mood swings, fixation on being online at specific times, and signs of self-harm.

If you suspect a child may be a victim, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Thorne emphasized that even if children have committed crimes under coercion, they are victims and need support.

If you or someone you know is thinking about self-harm, call the National Suicide Hotline at 988.

The FBI is urging parents to stay alert for warning signs that their child may be caught up in this disturbing online trend.

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