Maine teen is first juvenile charged in federal extremist group case, FBI says
A 17-year-old from Maine has become the first juvenile to be charged and adjudicated in a federal case linked to an online extremist network known as "764," according to the FBI's Boston Division.
The teen, whose name and hometown have not been released, faced charges including sexual exploitation and enticement of a child, distribution of child sexual abuse material, interstate threats, cyberstalking, identity theft, and conspiracy to exploit a child. Because the case was handled under the federal Juvenile Delinquency Act, there are no public court filings, and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maine said he could not comment further on the matter.
The FBI announced Tuesday that the teen will serve time in detention followed by juvenile delinquent supervision. In a statement, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine Andrew Benson issued a stark warning to others who might believe their age provides cover for serious crimes.
"If you sexually exploit a child, the fact that you yourself are a minor will not protect you from the consequences of your actions," Benson said.
The case is part of a broader federal crackdown on the 764 network, an umbrella term used by investigators for online groups in which minors and other vulnerable people are pressured into escalating sexual and violent acts. The FBI says it is currently investigating more than 500 people across the country tied to these networks.
Earlier this month, federal prosecutors secured a 77-year prison sentence against a Tennessee man connected to a 764 group on similar charges. Last summer, two alleged leaders of the network were arrested in Washington, D.C., on charges of operating a global child exploitation enterprise; their cases remain pending.
The Justice Department has described 764 networks as environments where adults and sometimes other minors coerce victims into producing self-harm imagery and child sexual abuse material, often through threats and manipulation carried out across state lines and international borders.
The Maine case marks a notable milestone in that ongoing effort, signaling that federal authorities are willing to pursue juvenile offenders in the same forum as adults when the alleged conduct meets the threshold for federal charges.
