Ind. (WPTA) – Fort Wayne police say detectives are working at least one active case involving violent online extremists that target children
Detective Brian Martin with the Fort Wayne Police Department described a network known as 764 during a news conference Wednesday at the Rousseau Center.
The briefing was streamed live on the 21Alive News app.
“We want to warn the public about a truly upsetting online trend that is truly taking children captive,” the department’s strategic communications manager Ethan Dahlen said at the start of the briefing.
21Investigates has been tracking tips about possible cases in northeast Indiana.
Confirmation has been difficult because cases of this type often involve minors and multiple agencies.
Martin declined to provide details but confirmed the department has open work.
“Fort Wayne PD is working an active investigation or investigations, and that’s all the further we’re willing to go right now with that information,” Martin said.
Martin said investigators nationwide have seen successful federal prosecutions involving 764.
He described these types of cases as in-depth and said they remain prosecutable when evidence is preserved.
Martin said the message for parents is direct: ask who your child is talking to on social media and gaming platforms.
“A simple game is Roblox. These games can start off innocent and all of a sudden there’s somebody communicating with them, taking them to a side group or a side chat,” Martin said.
Police say contact that starts on gaming platforms such as Roblox, Discord, Telegram and Instagram can shift to private chats.
An FBI public safety message describes the next steps as requests for personal information and sometimes nude photos, which are then used to blackmail victims into creating additional content depicting escalating sexual and violent behavior against themselves, animals and other children, including suicide.
Martin said the groups target young people ages 8 to 15, and that 16 and 17 year olds have also been affected.
He said predators look for vulnerable youth, including children who feel isolated, and also approach children with stable family lives.
He said young people are encouraged to commit self-harm, send explicit photos, harm family pets, and attempt suicide.
Authorities say the acts are often recorded or livestreamed.
Fort Wayne police urge parents to monitor their child’s online activity, warn them not to send pictures to strangers and tell them to ask for help immediately if threatened.
Martin said parents should save screenshots, usernames, dates and times before deleting anything.
He said that material can support local, state or federal investigations.
“Don’t just delete it. Try to save the information,” Martin said.
Last week, Noble County Emergency Management posted on Facebook: “Please immediately delete Roblox and/or Discord from any device your children have. If you suspect malicious activity call law enforcement immediately.”
Agency Director Ann Carpenter said the post was intended to raise awareness.
“We put that out there just to raise awareness for our parents, to educate them that we have some issues with Roblox and Discord,” Carpenter said. “There’s a dark web group, 764, and they’re infiltrating this and doing child exploitation activities. It’s in our county.”
The Noble County sheriff said he is unaware of any active investigations related to that warning. The FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office did not confirm whether it has active cases involving Indiana children and pointed to general online safety re
Robbie Manson, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office, described the networks in a public video message.
“Although the names of these networks are constantly changing, their activities remain the same,” Manson said. “They seek to coerce and manipulate minor victims into harming themselves, animals and other minors. They may even encourage victims to attempt suicide.”
The FBI says it is investigating more than 450 subjects nationwide tied to 764 and similar networks. That figure does not confirm cases in Indiana.
In a separate Kentucky case, Jaimee Seitz said her daughter Audree died by suicide in 2024 after becoming involved in an online group that glorified mass shooters. The family is suing Roblox, Discord and TikTok, alleging the platforms failed to protect Audree.
The case is pending, and all three companies have filed motions to dismiss.
A federal proposal, the James T. Woods Act, would create federal crimes for coercing minors online to harm themselves, attempt suicide, harm others or animals, or commit certain other violent acts.
Police say if you think your child is being targeted, save evidence and contact police right away.
You can also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, submit a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline, or call or text 988 for crisis support.
Copyright 2026 WPTA. All rights reserved.
