Horry County deputies have arrested a 16-year-old student with alleged ties to a violent online network that targets and exploits vulnerable children and teenagers. The arrest came after deputies got a cyber tip from the gaming platform Discord about possible school violence, the Horry County Sheriff’s Office said Thusday afternoon. The teen has not been identified. Sheriff’s Lt. Tim Troxell, who investigates child sex crimes, called the case one of the worst of his career. “This is one of the most disturbing cases I’ve seen in my eight years as a child sex crimes investigator,” Troxell said. “The ages of the defendant and the victim, and the material generated as a result of extortion was both extreme and unsettling.” After getting the tip, deputies turned to the FBI office in Columbia for assistance. The investigation led authorities to “exploitation” tied to the “764” network. That, in turn, led them to the teenager, the sheriff’s office said. According to authorities, “764” uses threats, blackmail, and manipulation to coerce minors into producing, sharing, or live-streaming acts of self-harm, animal cruelty, sexually explicit acts, and suicide. The footage is then circulated among members of the network. Members will often threaten to post the footage online or send the footage to the victim’s family and friends to continue the extortion and maintain control.
via myfox8: ‘Disturbing’: South Carolina deputies arrest teen with alleged ties to violent online network ‘764’