Halifax youth charged after taking part in online violent extremist group

A Halifax youth is facing several child pornography charges after taking part in an online violent extremist group, Halifax police said.

An investigation launched in May involved a youth who was an active member of an online group called 764, which is a subgroup of the Com Network.

According to HRP, 764 and the Com Network are virtual communities made up of people who glorify serious violence and cruelty, operating worldwide and connecting with children, youth and vulnerable adults through chat features of online social media and gaming apps.

Victims are manipulated into recording, sharing or live-streaming intimate images, acts of self-harm, violence against others, sexual activity, child pornography and animal cruelty. Police said the videos are then used by predators as blackmail to gain more control over them, saying that victims often graduate into predators themselves.

No local victims have been identified at this stage of the investigation, a press release from police reads.

The youth’s identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

HRP is urging parents and guardians to have ongoing conversations with children and youth about online safety and privacy.

Police are offering up other tips including:

• If your child/youth is playing games online, put controls on who they can talk to. Talk to them about who they are playing with online and what kinds of conversations they’re having.
• Encourage your child/youth not to use headphones when playing online games. Keeping the sound on helps parents spot unsafe conversations with strangers.
• Ensure children/youth are using electronic devices in shared family areas and not behind closed doors. Keeping devices in open spaces helps parents stay aware of what children are doing online, who they’re talking to, and what content they’re viewing.
• Remind children/youth never to share personal details like their name, school, address, photos or videos on social media or gaming apps.
• Be aware of who your children/youth are talking to and take note if they start to become more private or withdrawn. Encourage them to talk to a trusted adult if someone is making them feel uncomfortable or pressured.

Victims, or anyone with information about online violent crime groups, is asked to contacted HRP or Crime Stoppers.

Cases of youth involved in group popping up in Canada

In May, police in Alberta arrested a 15-year-old on terrorism-related offences in connection with the group 764.

Michael King, the deputy executive director of the Alberta-based Organization for the Prevention of Violence, says the Com/764 network is “very secretive” and “quite widespread,” operating in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.

He describes the group’s ideology as very distinct from other terroristic ideologies.

“But 764 is an ideology that wants to create chaos, as much suffering as possible, and they’re not trying to rectify any problem or injustice in society. The underlying ideology is that they want to see society burn. So they fall under this kind of newer category of extremist ideologies that we call nihilism.”