FBI Dallas is warning parents, guardians, and teachers about what it calls “a growing safety threat” from violent online networks that target children through gaming and social media platforms.
In an open letter, FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Joe Rothrock said networks commonly referred to as “764” often connect with minors online, build trust by posing as friends, and then coerce them into harming themselves or others.
“I want to share some important information about a growing safety threat from violent online networks commonly referred to as ‘764,’” Rothrock wrote.
FBI Says Networks Target Children Online
Violent online networks such as 764 operate globally, including in North Texas, according to FBI Dallas.
“They coerce victims into sharing personal information and explicit pictures and videos, which are then used to blackmail their victims into creating more content depicting escalating sexual and violent behavior,” Rothrock wrote.
FBI Dallas said members of these networks sometimes livestream the content. If victims refuse to comply, their images or videos may be sent to family members or posted online. The Bureau said victims may also be threatened through swatting, doxxing, or vandalism.
The FBI is investigating more than 450 subjects tied to violent online networks, Rothrock said.
“Here in North Texas, FBI Dallas is aggressively investigating violent online network members and working with prosecutors to hold these criminals accountable,” Rothrock wrote.
Prior Cases Show The Risk
The warning comes after several cases and investigations involving online child exploitation networks.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the FBI recently offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Austin Jan Sy Yatco, a former Plano man accused of participating in an online group that coerced minors into producing child sexual abuse material.
Federal authorities accused Yatco of participating in Greggy’s Cult, an online network that prosecutors say targeted vulnerable children through gaming and social media platforms. Prosecutors alleged members coerced minors into self-harm, animal cruelty, sexual exploitation of siblings, and, in some cases, attempted suicide.
The Dallas Express also previously reported on the 764 network in a 2025 episode of “Going Rogue with Lara Logan,” which explored how online predators allegedly use blackmail, manipulation, extremist content, and digital communities to coerce and exploit vulnerable children.
The threat is part of a broader online child exploitation problem. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Operation Soteria Shield, a month-long statewide law enforcement operation led by the FBI Dallas Division, the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, resulted in 109 children rescued and 244 suspects arrested.
The FBI’s warning also echoes prior federal concerns about online sextortion involving minors. The Dallas Express previously reported that federal authorities linked sextortion cases involving minors to teen suicides, with predators often posing as young people on social media or gaming platforms.
FBI Lists Warning Signs
FBI Dallas urged parents and teachers to watch for sudden changes in behavior, including children dropping out of activities, becoming withdrawn, moody, or irritable, or experiencing changes in eating or sleeping habits.
The Bureau also warned parents to watch for sudden changes in appearance, including neglect of personal appearance or the concealment of specific body parts by wearing long sleeves or pants in hot weather.
Other warning signs include scars, skin carvings, fresh cuts, scratches, bruises, bite marks, burns, or other wounds. FBI Dallas said those marks may appear in patterns, including names, numbers, or symbols.
The Bureau also listed unexplained injuries to pets, threats of suicide, talk about death, unexplained gaming currency or gift cards, swatting incidents, doxxing, or vandalism as potential warning signs.
Parents Urged To Monitor Online Activity
FBI Dallas urged parents to monitor children’s online activity, including cellphone use, and to use parental controls.
“Reassure your children that they can come to you for help,” Rothrock wrote.
FBI Dallas asked anyone with information about victims, members, or activities tied to violent online networks to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov. Anyone in immediate danger should call 911.
“We remain determined to identify and stop those who target our children,” Rothrock wrote.
