Update: An article published on January 19, 2024 has brought to my attention at least two other 764-related arrests. Full update at the end of this piece.
In February of 2021, a Texan named Kaleb Christopher Merritt was arrested for sexually abusing and eventually abducting a twelve-year-old girl from Henry County, Virginia. According to police, the two had met online and started a relationship some time during the previous year. Henry County Sheriff’s investigator P.C. Stone said the Southwestern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Minors Task Force had received a complaint from the internet chat service Discord, warning that the girl had been “making threats and statements of hurting herself.” After the arrest, Stone said that Merritt “is from a group of users that go by ‘CVLT’ who extort minor women into committing self-harm and uploading their own child pornography.” Authorities also revealed that Merritt had taken explicit pictures and videos of the girl. Merritt was sentenced to 350 years of prison, eligible for release on parole after 33 years. [1]
On April 12, 2022, a German teenager identified as Nino Luciano H. murdered a 74-year-old woman in Sibiu County, Romania. [2] The murderer had been sent to live with a foster family in Romania as part of a German child protection program. Before the murder, in late March, he had pushed an 82-year-old man down the stairs and attacked him with a knife. The man survived after being treated at a hospital, but did not remember the incident well enough to identify his assailant. The murderer told his online friends that he killed the woman because he believed she was Jewish, and told authorities that he killed her because he believed she was Roma, though the woman did not belong to either group. He recorded both incidents and shared them in online group chats. [3]
In March of 2023, the Romanian news outlet Libertatea reported that, some time before the murder, the teenager (identified in the article as “Luca” due to his age) had joined online communities described by the County Prosecutors Office as “racist, satanic, and Nazi” in character. According to the Libertatea article, “Luca” had painted the walls of his room with satanic and Nazi images, as well as the number 764. He also had terms like “764,” “6996” and “Necro” tattooed on his hands, and signs of self-harm on his body. Authorities also said that he had child pornography on his cell phone. The article described the repeated appearance of the number 764 as “a reference to an extremely violent online cult “764” that promotes child sexual abuse.”
Aside from these incidents, both “CVLT” and “764” would stay out of news headlines until September 12, 2023, when the FBI released a public service announcement, warning of “violent online groups deliberately targeting minor victims on publicly available messaging platforms to extort them into recording or live-streaming acts of self-harm and producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).” In addition to CVLT and 764, the statement named “676,” “Court,” “Kaskar,” “Harm Nation,” “Leak Society,” and “H3ll” as similar groups, and stated that these groups frequently “evolve and form subgroups under different monikers.” [4] According to a Guardian article from September 28, the FBI announcement came after an investigation related to the November 2021 gun possession arrest of Angel Almeida, who was reportedly part of the 764 group. [5] Per his detention memorandum, Almeida had previously been arrested for burglary in Florida. [6] An indictment filed in January 2023 alleged that he had enticed at least one minor into producing sexually explicit material, had attempted to do the same with at least one other minor, and had possessed and distributed sexually explicit material involving minors. [7] (The January 2023 indictment does not actually mention 764. The Guardian article alludes to unnamed sources regarding the connection between Almeida and the group.)
The detention memorandum revealed that Almeida had posted identifying information on at least three social media accounts: a Facebook account under the name “Sargent Grey,” and two Instagram accounts, one under the name “necropedocell,” and the other under the name “Stain_Lord_352.” Screenshots included in the memorandum showed posts from Almeida openly identifying himself as a pedophile, pictures with a Nazi flag, and images of mass shooter Dylann Roof. Almeida also posed in front of a flag bearing the symbol of the Tempel ov Blood, an American offshoot of the UK-Based satanic organization The Order of Nine Angles. A picture taken in Almeida’s residence showed that he owned a copy of The Sinister Tradition, a key O9A text, as well as Peter Carroll’s seminal work on Chaos Magic Liber Null and the “Simon” version of the Necronomicon. [6]
Three serious criminals linked with these extortion groups have made waves in news media. Two of them were charged with producing and distributing child pornography, and all three were charged with possessing it. This news coverage mentioned two of the groups — 764 and CVLT. It linked two of the alleged members to satanism and Nazi ideology, with one of those two explicitly being linked to the O9A. The other groups mentioned in the FBI announcement appear to have, so far, managed to evade mainstream attention.
Further investigation reveals that there is concrete evidence that many of these groups have been prolific in their extortion of minors, often going to extreme lengths to control their victims and experience sadistic pleasure. Examination of the groups’ social media footprints suggests that they are, in reality, all part of one decentralized community, with members of each group communicating with each other and in some cases moving freely from group to group or participating in multiple groups simultaneously. This network is commonly known among its members as “com,” short for “community.” Even more concerning is the fact that multiple members of each of the “main” groups are connected to online O9A and neo-nazi communities on social media — in fact, all three of the aforementioned cases involve open association with the O9A.
The Groups and Their Activities
[note 1]
Self — Harm
Two of the most common forms of extortion perpetrated by the Extortion Community are “fansigns” and “cutsigns.” Fansigns are a type of image depicting the name of a particular group or user written on a physical medium — usually the signer’s body, but it is not uncommon for names to be written or paper signs or walls. Fansigns are typically written in marker, makeup, or blood. Cutsigns are a subset of fansign written by cutting names or phrases directly into the flesh.
Fansigns and cutsigns make it possible to determine which groups/users are responsible for specific incidents. The names “Naro,” “Harm,” “Ella,” “Yuri,” “Ally,” “Syn,” “Flar,” and “Vore,” all apparently associated with 764 and/or Harm Nation, appear in images of cutsigns, or of fansigns included in images of self-mutilation. A number of the cutsigns associated with the user Harm also include the term “#H8.” [A 1–5]
At least one cutsign image features the name “Wrath;” another cutsign image featuring that name appears in screenshots of the now defunct Instagram account o9a.evil. That account, based on its other posts, may have belonged to Kaleb Merritt. One post on the account featured a young girl in her underwear, with “Kaleb” written on her body, apologizing for threatening to use witchcraft against “Kaleb” and begging for his forgiveness. The o9a.evil account also featured two cutsigns of the name “Kaleb” and one of a pentagram. Kaleb, presumably Kaleb Merritt, was alleged by authorities to be involved with cvlt; this could imply that “Wrath” was also involved in that group. [A 6]
The Instagram account “oxdelusion” features two images of the name “delusion” written in marker on skin, and two barely-censored pictures of cuts that appear to be the product of self-harm. The oxdelusion account claims affiliation with H3ll in its bio. A video attributed to the user “brace.h3ll” shows multiple cutsigns, though it is hard to make out exactly what they say because they are covered by H3ll’s logo. That video is currently hosted on the Instagram account “rotteninacoffin;” the owner of that account claims that it is “not my video.” [A 7–9]
One smaller group, which seems to be mostly inactive, was called “Harem.” Harem members all used the same profile picture (an image of a face with bloody gaps in place of its eyes and mouth) and generally had “harem” somewhere in their usernames. Screenshots of a Harem groupchat show members sharing images of self-harm cuts and laughing about them. [A 10–12]
Some fansigns are not directly included alongside images of self-mutilation but appear to be written in blood, which suggests that self-harm occurred. Some images are easier to identify as blood than others; it is not always possible to tell whether a sign was written in blood or thin red paint. The logos for Harm Nation, H3ll, and a group called 101, as well as the number 764, have appeared in fansigns that appear to be written in blood. [A 5, 13, 14] Harm’s name appears on multiple fansigns written in blood, at least two of which are several sentences long. [A 15, 16] One image of a person in a short skirt shows “THE WORLD IS SAKENS 717,” alongside the H3ll logo, written on the wall in what could possibly be blood, though it is far enough away from the camera that it is hard to be certain. [A 17] (717 is another name for H3ll. The name “Saken” also appears in a screenshot of a 101 Telegram chat.)
Additionally, there is some non-photographic evidence of “com” members encouraging self-harm. A leaked screenshot of a message from a user called “Иoro.H3ll,” with some words scribbled out by whoever first shared the picture, reads “i extorted this bitch, she was capable of everything. [redacted] a dog she was ready, [redacted] herself she was ready, she was even ready to [redacted] herself, but when i told her to say [redacted] that’s where she draws the line.” [A 18] A screenshot of a snapchat conversation showed a user named “Rabid” expressing concern about being targeted by authorities, specifically saying “they have the fansigns and cutting.” [A 19] (A user called Rabid appeared in screen recordings of calls in a 764 Discord server, and an Instagram account called “rabid7779” posted pictures relating to 764.) A video of an anonymous person on a Discord call with a user called “nak” showed the caller pressuring nak into repeatedly taking unspecified pills while he complained that he was in pain and feeling cold. [A 20, 21] “Nak” is a name used by a 764 member who, himself, also participated in abuse.
Sexual Abuse
Though reports on Almeida and Merritt strongly suggest that sexual extortion, especially of minors, is a major part of Extortion Community activity, concrete evidence is much harder to find due to legal and ethical concerns about sharing explicit material obtained non-consensually and possibly involving minors. In cases where law enforcement did not explicitly confirm instances of sexual abuse, the only ways to determine when it occurred are witness testimony, pieces of conversations shown in screenshots and recorded calls, and images that suggest abuse without actually depicting it. It is also usually impossible to verify that a person who appears in a screenshot is really who they claim to be. However, the cases against a few specific users seem particularly strong.
764 and Harm Nation associate Harm appears to have received multiple fansigns and cutsigns that imply a sexual relationship. One fansign, written in blood and photographed next to self-inflicted cuts, appears to be an apology to Harm for an unspecified offense followed by the assurance that “i will always be your little slut and slave” and a request to “please claim me back.” Another sign, written in blood, says “slut 4 harm” and “harm runs me ❤.” Other phrases that appear on bloody fansigns include “slave 4 Harm,” “Harm’s girl,” and “daddy Harm.” [A 15, 16, 22, 23]
Another user associated with 764, Rabid, was recorded describing child sexual abuse in multiple Discord calls. One video shows Rabid repeatedly laughing at the prospect of sexually abusing a minor in front of his “haters.” (The profile picture of the user named “Rabid” lights up every time the person speaks.) The same voice appears in an even more disturbing recording, saying:
“… I have little children cousins, elsewhere, and do weird shit, and uh, like, I might have people, like, strangle themselves with a broken cable, or kill their pets, or just do weird shit, and I record it, or I have other people record it, and then uh… like I’m part of a cult. Like a really bad people cult… but I’m also part of other shit too, just like lame shit.”
[A 24, 25] In the Snapchat screenshot where Rabid discussed having images of self-harm, he also claimed “I never groom,” and instead expressed interest in forming “a satanic blood cult” called “sewer.” [A 19]
Rabid apparently attracted the attention of the FBI. In a recorded Discord call, he describes an FBI raid on his home. According to Rabid, the FBI did not find evidence of child abuse, but did find illegal firearms. He also claims to be a veteran suffering from schizophrenia and living on veteran’s benefits. In the recording, he expresses concern that he will face ten years in prison for possessing the weapons. A separate recording shows someone, allegedly Rabid, presenting a receipt for property document from the FBI, with all of the details covered by a sheet of paper. [A 26, 27] Rabid was active on a now-defunct account called Rabid7779 until November 2023. A new account, “rabidthesinister,” became active in January 2024. That account posted references to “sewer” and symbols relating to satanism and O9A. [A 83, 84]
Other 764-related users potentially involved in sexual exploitation include the Instagram user sinister_7six4, whose first post expressed the intention to eventually begin selling child pornography, [Note 2] and “Sakuran,” who admitted to extorting minors in a chat screenshot. [A 28, 29] As was previously discussed, Angel Almeida’s detention memorandum includes charges of sexual abuse against minors, and “Nino Luciano H.” allegedly had child pornography on his phone.
Alleged cvlt member Kaleb Christopher Merritt was convicted of abducting and sexually abusing a child. Another cvlt member, Rohan, uploaded two videos called “slave knife play” to his YouTube channel. The videos featured a girl or woman in underwear with “Rohan” written on her abdomen pressing a knife against her body, though never cutting. [A 30] Rohan is confirmed as a member of cvlt by a video on his YouTube channel called “cvlt discord rap battle,” which showed him participating in the cvlt discord server. In that video, Rohan makes references to pedophilia (telling his opponent “you call me a pedo because every fourteen-year-old rejected you”) and extortion but does not directly admit to sexual abuse. A user using the screen name “rohan’s kitten,” identified during the video as “Coraline,” appears to be in a relationship with Rohan, but did not elaborate on the nature of the relationship in the video. [8]
Reddit user u/rectormma claimed in a comment to be Rohan and the leader of cvlt; in a different comment he posted a link to one of the knife play videos, which is a private video only available to those who have the link. “Rectormma” said that cvlt was a “dark and sadistic cult” and that they “don’t care about morality,” but described the group’s activities as “a way of masochistic tendencies,” calling the self-harm a consensual form of “extreme BDSM.” [A 31] The commenter stressed that “Everything is legal.” However, Kaleb Merritt allegedly met his eventual abductee through cvlt, implying that there was some degree of sexual/“romantic” contact between adults and minors in the chat. The claim that all of the server’s activities were consensual is undermined somewhat by Rohan’s open discussion of “extortion” in the “rap battle” video. In a different comment, u/rectormma claimed that a girl had been recorded committing suicide in cvlt. [A 32] A comment from two years ago on another of Rohan’s videos asks “Rohan, where the fuck are you, man?” Rohan’s response reads: “was in jail, came home a month ago.. hope you’re doing good man.” [A 33]
In private messages sent via Reddit, a user going by the names “Vivian” and “Starfall” commented on alleged sexual exploitation in the Extortion Community. (The user consented to being quoted in this article.) “Vivian” claims she “dated/was owned by” a number of prominent community members including Noro of H3ll, but that she has deleted all screenshots/evidence as part of the process of recovering from these traumatic experiences. She also said that she witnessed many financial transactions taking place within the community, including the buying and selling of “e-slaves.” If these statements are true, the Extortion Community could be functioning something like a made-to-order child-pornography industry. “Vivian” now operates an Instagram account the re-shares content relating to child abuse organizations and trauma recovery.
Animal Killings
Coercion of victims into committing violence against animals is particularly prevalent in the 764/Harm Nation groups but also appears to have occurred in H3ll/717. This practice demonstrates the extreme degree of control the abusers have over their victims and the amount of emotional distress they are willing to cause in order to exercise that control. One leaked image depicts a young girl holding a fansign featuring the name “Court764” in one hand and a dead cat in the other. [A 34] Court is a known associate of 764/Harm Nation. The name “Court” has also appeared in association with H3ll/717 and 101. A darkened version of a second photo of the same incident was shared via an Instagram story by a now-defunct account called “fiylq,” captioned “Free court764 he’s coming home next year,” referencing the belief that Court had been taken in by authorities. [A 35] (Rumors about community members being arrested are common, but are difficult to verify. Screenshots of a telegram chat called “Kaskar strip club” show a user claiming to be court developing plans to pretend that he “got fedded,” i.e. arrested by the FBI or other law enforcement, and “come back on a new alias.”) [A 36–38]
Another image shows a limp (apparently dead) cat dangling in front of a fansign featuring the names Ronin, Nak, and Harm, the number 764, and an inverted pentagram. A video of a discord call, though muted, ostensibly shows Harm forcing a person to kill a small pet on live-streamed video. The muted video shows that a person named Harm is speaking throughout the whole episode, and two fansigns were made as part of the same incident, one featuring the name “Harm” and the other “#H8,” and both featuring the animal’s decapitated head. An image of a person holding a cat down by its neck includes a sign reading “Harm764 made me do this;” it is not clear whether the cat in the image is actually dead. [A 39–41, 75]
The Иoro.H3ll text screenshot implies that Noro at least entertained the idea of making someone harm a pet dog, suggesting that H3ll may also be involved in animal cruelty to some degree. [A 18] An Instagram story posted by the “fiylq” account showed a short clip of a girl grabbing a cat by its neck with the caption “just made this girl kill her cat for me.” The girl in the image has the Harm Nation logo and the term “syn” written across her chest in blood. “Fiylq” also claimed association with 764, H3ll, and the O9A. The clip does not actually show the cat dying, but it appeared to be in distress. [A 42, 43] The YouTube channel Trait764 uploaded a video in March of 2022 that featured screenshots of a discord chat between users named “Trait” and “Wolfie Lullaby.” In the discussion, Trait attempted to use the other user’s address to pressure them into killing their mother. After Trait threatened to come to the other user’s house, they begged him to make them “do anything else.” The video ends with an image of a cat with a blade held against its throat. [A 44, 45]
In-Person Crimes
The most serious confirmed instance of a “com” member directly hurting someone in person is the murder committed by a 764 member in Romania in 2022. The user “Tobbz764,” who also used the username “HVRTCORE” on some platforms, was almost certainly the murderer identified in papers as “Nino Luciano H.” [2] (The term “hurtcore” is reportedly also used as the name of a genre of torture-pornography, usually involving children. A Vice article on the topic also mentions an example of fansign extortion involving a hurtcore forum.) [9] In a leaked screenshot from a Telegram chat called “764 priv,” a user named Tobbz claims to have “stabbed someone,” with a video attached. The screenshot shows a frame from a leaked video of an old man being pushed down concrete stairs and cut with a knife. This incident matches an account of an assault on an 82-year-old man committed by the murderer prior to the actual murder, as reported in the Libertatea article. [3] [A 46, 47] An August 2023 article from the Romanian outlet Adevarul reported that “Nino” had been sentenced to 14 years in prison. The same article alleges that he used the names “Tobbz” and “Hvrtcore,” among others. [10] A now-defunct Instagram account called “Hvrtkore,” which claimed to be an owner of 101 and a member of 764 and Harm Nation, became active in early November of 2023.
Kidnapper Kaleb Merritt was alleged by police to be a cvlt member. Images and videos confirm that there was an individual called “Kaleb” involved in the Extortion Community. [A 6]
An article from January, 2023 from the German news outlet Fränkische Nachrichten shows graffiti near a train station that reads “717,” “H3LL,” “NARO,” and “RISKY.” [11] Other examples of H3ll-related graffiti are included in a video about H3ll on the YouTube channel Deadtube. [12] (Deadtube has made a number of videos discussing H3ll, 764, and the Extortion Community, frequently featuring testimony from supposed insiders and ex-members.)
Underestimation of the threat
Online posts about these activities seem to invite comments understating the threat or actively supporting the groups. The two top comments on a Reddit post warning of H3ll are “Funniest thing I’ve seen in days” and “lmao.” [13] Another was met with comments repeating the phrase “FreeNoro,” though another reply to the post alleged that Noro had “faked his arrest” and was not in prison. The top reply states that cvlt and O9A are “the same thing;” while this is not exactly correct, it is one of a number of examples suggesting a connection between the two. That reply also asserts that “all admins r in prison/awaiting trial.” [14] A post about 764 and Harm Nation was met with similar incredulity. The top comment read “I can guarantee that anyone that said lmao or stfu is actually part of it. These butter boys about to go extinct.” That assumption seems at least partially correct; H3ll-affiliated user Mercyisweak was among those making fun of the post. [15]
Even comments on a YouTube video openly identifying with 764 do not take the topic seriously, instead accusing the original poster of “LARPing.” Comments include “This is definitely LARPing. You guys are overestimating how important you all are,” and “These are the types to be too shy to ask for ketchup at Wendy’s…” [16]
Chat screenshots, images of “cutsigns” and “fansigns,” and video recordings demonstrate that these groups genuinely pose a threat to the more vulnerable people on the internet, and that many group members are child predators explicitly looking to take advantage of children for sexual means. The fact the groups are also responsible for embarrassing and cringe-worthy social media posts does not lessen the severity of their actions.
The Community and its Connections
The basics of the Order of Nine Angles
The involvement of the Order of Nine Angles in the Extortion Community is one of the most unsettling elements of the story, and some familiarity with the group is necessary to fully appreciate its role. The Order of Nine Angles (O9A) is a loosely-organized Satanic group, originally based in the United Kingdom, that openly condones violence and follows a Nazi-inspired ideology. [17] The group’s history and beliefs are complex; a more in-depth breakdown of the group’s history, philosophy, practices, international reach, and violent crimes can be found in the book Global Death Cult by William Ramsey. That book also covers other related cases such as that of the US-based Atomwaffen Division. There are a few key points that are most relevant to understanding the group’s involvement with the Extortion Community.
The O9A has no official system of “membership,” and individual cells or “nexions” are not required to have any direct connection with the original group, although some groups may hold some reverence for the “Old Guard” of the order. In effect, this means that an individual who becomes a follower of the O9A’s philosophy and seriously practices the Order’s system of “initiation” is just as much a “part” of the organization as any other member. For this reason, followers of the O9A can be more accurately considered “associates,” rather than “members.” [18] For example, an individual like Angel Almeida, who owned and (presumably) read O9A literature, would only need to carry out the O9A’s personal practices (such as ritual magic and personal ritual “initiations”) to be considered an “associate” of the group. [6] In theory, an individual who finds the Order’s material online and actively tries to further its aims could be considered just as much of an “active” associate as a member of an established “nexion.” [Note 4]
The O9A encourages its followers to carry out certain activities to aid in their personal development and to aid the group’s cause. One such activity is “culling,” or killing of those determined to be unworthy of life. O9A documents (quoted in Global Death Cult) describe a variety of methods for committing these killings. [19] An Overview of the Contemporary Secret Society Known as the Order of Nine Angles quotes pseudonymous O9A founder Anton Long discussing culling; he encourages ritual sacrifice, stoking of political unrest, war, and arranging “accidents” as potential methods of culling. [20] The crucial point to the concept of “culling” is that the O9A encourages its followers to kill those they view as unnecessary or deserving of death.
Another O9A practice is the “insight role.” Associates are encouraged to take on “insight roles” by temporarily adopting new lifestyles for several months or longer. Insight roles can be as diverse as traveling the world, changing to new professions, (with “professional burglar” and “police officer” listed as examples in O9A literature) or joining extreme political groups. In theory, this serves to provide initiates with “insight” into the way the world works through learning by experience. [19] Hypothetically, this could be viewed as “infiltration” by the O9A into existing groups — for example, an online community that centers on extremely sadistic forms of abuse and manipulation. In January of 2020, members of the American terrorist group The Base were arrested for allegedly plotting to murder two people and possibly their children; the leader of the operation was purportedly a follower of the O9A. [21] [22] According to an indictment unsealed in June of 2020, Ethan Melzer, a soldier in the US Army, leaked information regarding his unit to fellow O9A associates. Apparently, Melzer and his co-conspirators hoped to pass the information along to other terrorist groups in order to cause a “mass casualty event” in which Melzer’s fellow soldiers would be killed. [23]
One more piece of key relevant information regarding the O9A involves the Tempel ov Blood. (ToB) The Tempel ov Blood is a US-based nexion of the O9A; its key text, Liber 333, references a number of O9A concepts like the “sinister dialectic” and O9A-specific deities. [24] Some of the Tempel of Blood’s texts are published by the company Martinet Press, which also sells ToB-related memorabilia like jacket patches. [25] [26] A number of news outlets have stated that Martinet Press is or was run by an individual named Caleb Joshua Sutter. [27] [28] [29] During the trial of Kaleb Cole, a member of the white supremacist group Atomwaffen Division, Sutter testified that he was an FBI confidential informant who had been paid more than $100,000 for his work. [30] The articles that implicate Sutter as the head of Martinet Press usually cite a motion to suppress evidence from later in Cole’s trial. That motion mentioned neither Sutter nor Martinet press by name, but referred to a confidential informant who “currently owns and operates a publishing company that distributes white supremacist writings.” The document’s description of that CI matches Sutter’s story by exact details, but it does not include any further information that could identify the publishing company as Martinet Press. [31] Sutter’s testimony details his involvement with the Atomwaffen Division, which by that time included a Tempel ov Blood text in its suggested reading list. [32] If the “publishing company” named in the motion was indeed Martinet Press, then the FBI had effectively been directly funding an O9A nexion until at least 2021.
A number of Extortion Community members were openly affiliated with the O9A, and many follow O9A-related accounts on social media. Additionally, most members of one extortion group followed members of other groups on social media, and there are some instances of users being in multiple groups. Finally, most members had at least some online connection with neo-Nazi accounts beyond those only affiliated with the O9A.
Merritt, Tobbz, and the O9A
Of the three extortion community members who made “mainstream” news headlines, Angel Almeida’s connection to the Order of Nine Angles is the only one that made it into the reports — to review, his detention memorandum showed that he owned and posed with a banner bearing the Tempel ov Blood’s sigil and had a copy of The Sinister Tradition. [6] However, Kaleb Merritt and Nino Luciano H. (“Tobbz”) were both publicly affiliated with the Order online. Investigators claimed that Merritt was involved with the group cvlt. An account associated with the extortion community called o9a.evil included cutsigns of the name “Kaleb” and a video of a girl speaking to someone named “Kaleb,” suggesting that the account belonged to Merritt. [A 6] Tobbz’s connection to the O9A is established by at least one online account; a YouTube channel called Tobbz764, whose profile picture is a bloody fansign of the number 764, features a bio that reads: “sinister member of the order of nine angles.” [A 48] Additionally, the Twitter account @TempelOvBlood has the username “HVRTCXRE,” reminiscent of another name used by Tobbz, though he was not the only person to use the term. [A 49]
“Nino’s” involvement in the O9A raises the question of whether the murder was intended to be a “culling.” The Libertatea article claimed that he reported antisemitism, and later anti-Roma prejudice, as his motive for the murder, although the victim did not actually belong to either group. Those political motives could be considered “in line” with those of the O9A. None of the available video or chat screenshots connect the murder to the O9A or any occult practice, and there is some evidence that the murder was inspired by a different group; an edited version of the video, also shared online, claims that Luciano was acting as a member of a group called Maniacs: Cult of Murder. [A 50] (abbreviated MKU or MKУ in Russian, more information later in this piece.) Even so, the murder’s resemblance to the practice of “culling” is worth noting due to the murderer’s open association with the O9A.
Inter-group connections on Instagram
Tracing the connections between different extortion groups is difficult because the member lists of Discord and Telegram communities are not visible to people on the outside, and because the groups themselves operate across multiple severs and channels. Social media makes it easier to map out connections between members of various groups, although not all of the most noteworthy members of a given group have social media accounts under their recognizable names. Additionally, some individuals claim affiliation with multiple groups.
The extortion community appears to be more prominent on Instagram than on Twitter, Facebook, or TikTok, although it maintains some presence on all of those platforms. The following image is an incomplete map of connections between the various groups on Instagram; hopefully, this will make it unnecessary to discuss every single connected user individually. Because accounts such as fiylq, human666grinder, Rabid7779, cvrrsee, keepyweep, fedraids, and hvrtkore have been deleted, suspended, or renamed during the past month, it is difficult to catalog all of their follows and followers.
[B]
Some of the more prominent community members with Instagram accounts include Noro and War, the alleged leaders of H3ll. Noro uses the names “Noro.H3ll” and “moldovanprofessor” on Instagram, War appears to use multiple accounts with the name “Mercyisweak;” a Reddit user named Mercyisweak claimed in a comment to be the owner of H3ll. [A 52] Both were mutual followers of the user “keepyweep,” who claimed to be a member of the group 101 prior to the account’s removal. Noro is/was a mutual follower of the users “pkal1332” and “longlivefed,” both of whom have shared pro-Nazi content in Instagram highlights. Longlivefed also shared a drawing featuring the O9A nine-pointed star, phrases like “AVE SATANAS” and “KILL, RAPE, DESTROY,” a swastika, and a bloody hand print next to a bloody razor blade. [A 53–57] War follows “Albanian_Kalashnikov1,” an Albanian nationalist account that does not post explicitly pro-Nazi content but openly identifies with the anti-LGBT “pridefall” media campaign and, in one Instagram highlight regarding his suspension from Discord, says “Beamed again coz discord is a jew.” [A 58–59] The H3ll-associated user oxdelusion follows accounts associated with H3ll, 764, (including the likely murderer Tobbz) cvlt, and the O9A.
The 764-affiliated account “Sinister_764” follows accounts associated with O9A and neo-Nazism, (such as “orzeht333”) cvlt, (“113.ily”) and H3ll. (Including Noro, War, and a user called “haboyrm.h3ll,” who follows back.) “113.ily,” one of the few openly cvlt-affiliated accounts on Instagram, follows H3ll user “rotteninacoffin” and is a mutual follower of “o9a.greed.” “Keepyweep,” associated with 101, was a mutual follower of the Nazi account pkal1332, in addition to the supposed leaders of H3ll.
The account “fiylq” claimed association with 764, O9A, and Harm Nation in its bio and H3ll/717 and 101 in its stories. [A 42, 60, 61] Fiylq posted highlights that featured video edits attributed to members of 764, Harm Nation, and a gore-related group called 6996, as well as assorted edits not associated with these groups. One such video, titled “Peter Scully” after the Australian murderer, serial child abuser, and child-pornographer, glorified Scully’s crimes and pedophilia in general. [A 62, 63] [Note 3] The account also shared what seem to be more recent instances of extorted fansigns from “Court 717” and “Keep 101.” [A 64, 65] In addition to videos from other users, Filyq shared stories claiming to have personally coerced girls into killing pets and making cutsigns in the name of 717 and Harm Nation. [A 43] Fiylq also shared recruitment posts from H3ll/717 and Harm Nation. One post urged viewers to join 717 to “make a mark on this dark corrupt world,” another featured a screenshot of a Harm Nation telegram channel with the caption “Join up if you’re not lame.” Another story invited viewers to join a 101 group chat. [A 66–68] The account “federalraids” (likely a replacement for the “fedraids” account after its apparent suspension) also posted invitations to 764. A former iteration of that account posted an invitation to a telegram chat named “court’s stripclub” via Instagram stories that also included the caption “#PedoGang.” [A 70–74]
Possible occult influence
Given the extortion community’s significant overlap with the Order of Nine Angles, both in terms of individual members and a larger social media ecosystem, there is a possibility that some of the abuse had a “magical” motive. Leaked excerpts of conversations between group members generally do not mention ritual or occult motivations at all, with the exception of the user named “Rabid” expressing interest in forming a “satanic blood cult.” [A 19] However, occult symbolism plays a role in some of the fansigns and cutsigns produced for the group. Cutsigns and fansigns attributed to “Kaleb” and “Yuri” sometimes include pentagrams and inverted pentagrams. [A 5, 6] In one of the images depicting a dead pet cat, the sign (attributed to “Ronin,” “Nak,” and “Harm”) features an inverted pentagram at the center with “7,” “6,” and “4” written in the top three angles. [A 76] 764’s logo, as displayed in a video by “Trait764” and the profile picture of “Sinister_7six4,” includes an inverted pentagram with a goat’s head and the alchemical symbol for brimstone, (🜏) also known as the Leviathan Cross. [A 69] [33]
Without statements of ritualistic intent from group members, these symbols could be seen as attempts to appear “evil” or “edgy;” however, one member used a specifically magical symbol. At least two separate fansigns for “Yuri,” written on lined paper in what appears to be blood, feature a seal attributed to the demon Astaroth as described in the popular grimoire Ars Goetia. [A 6][34] Whether this is an actual ritual blood sacrifice or simply the inclusion of occult images for aesthetic purposes, the act of drawing a demon’s sigil in one’s own blood bears a distinctly ritualistic character.
Maniac Murder Cult
In August of 2021, the Russia-based NGO Sova Center reported that it had received emails containing videos of assaults (and possible murders) against migrants and the homeless, as well as arson. The emails were reportedly signed by a group called Maniacs: Murder Cult or MKU. Sova Center also reported that a number of people had been detained in connection with the group between February and April of that year. The emails reportedly suggested a connection between MKU and a Russian neo-Nazi group called NS/WP. The Sova Center stated that the Russian Federal Security Service called MKU a Ukrainian group, but denied knowledge of evidence linking the group to Ukraine. [35] Later, in December 2021, the FSB claimed to have arrested 106 members of MKU, and accused Ukranian intelligence of directing the group. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) denied the allegations, and it is unclear what evidence, if any, led the FSB to connect the group to the SBU. [36]
An edited version of the Luciano/Tobbz murder, posted on the gore-themed video sharing website watchpeopledie.tv, opens with Russian text attributing the video to MKU and referring to the murderer as “a faithful son of the cult” and “a maniac.” The phrases “open the [Jewish woman’s] throat” and “murder is a holiday” appear later in the video. [A 50, 51] The chat screenshot that shows Tobbz pushing a man down a flight of steps also shows an image, sent by Tobbz, of the letters “MKУ” scratched into a wall, implying that he was personally interested in the group. [A 46]
The now-defunct Instagram account Human666Grinder, which posted a number of O9A-related images and followed extortion community accounts including “fiylq,” was also interested in MKU. A highlight on the account included screenshots of a number of articles linking MKU to a bus explosion, and also included the phrase “murder is a holiday.” [A 77–79]
An online news outlet called the Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC) released a report in May 2023 that included two images promoting a supposed “alliance” between 764 and MKU. One image included the text “764 MKU NLM,” another read “764 X MKУ — BROTHERS IN BLOOD.” According to the report, “NLM” refers to an online group called “No Lives Matter.” NLM’s logo is described in the report as “a man’s covered head;” the image is actually a police sketch of serial killer Joseph James DeAngelo. The term “NLM” also appears in a 764 recruitment post by federalraids. [A 71, 80, 81] [37] [38] In the images, the 764 logo has been added to the forehead of the police sketch. Though these images point to a possible connection between 764 and MKU, they are not attributed to any particular user, and could have been made by anyone, regardless of how much actual influence they had in either group. The evidence of a connection between MKU, 764, and O9A comes down to “Tobbz’s” self-proclaimed affiliation with all three groups and a few anonymous social media posts; at the very least, however, members of all three groups seem to be aware of each other.
The Facts
Online extortion groups are not “harmless” or “larping.” The fact that they are run by people who make embarrassing social media posts does not mean that they are incapable of targeting the vulnerable. These groups, though they operate under separate names, are in communication with one another and operate as a community. There is a significant amount of photographic and video evidence to suggest that they have been hurting people for years, and their members have been responsible for at least one murder and at least one child abduction.
The “extortion community” is still active. Accounts affiliated with Harm Nation, 101, and H3ll/717 continue to be active on social media, with at least one posting evidence of coerced self-harm and pet cruelty as recently as early November 2023. At least two accounts have posted active attempts to recruit new members around the same time. Though most of those accounts have since been suspended, new ones continue to spring up.
Though the online extortion groups themselves seem to be largely motivated by extreme sadism, and in many cases pedophilia, the community also associates with neo-Nazis and the Order of Nine Angles. So far, all of the community members who have made it into local and national news headlines have been openly interested in the O9A. At least one member, who committed assault and murder while involved in 764, was also connected (at least online) to another terrorist group, MKU. There is limited evidence that 764 and the O9A more broadly are connected to MKU.
The FBI is aware of these groups, but it is unclear what actions, if any, have been taken to address the problem. Attempts by social media platforms to crack down on these groups have seen limited success, as the chats can reform or splinter into new groups, and new accounts can be made as quickly as they can be suspended. It is difficult to say what can be done to effectively combat the Extortion Community.
UPDATE: Bradley Cadenhead and Kalana Limkin.
An article recently published on the website for a group called the “Global Network on Extremism and Terrorism” mentions the arrests of an individual named Bradley Cadenhead in Texas (August 2021) and an individual named Kalana Limkin in Hawaii. (December 2023) Another article covering Limkin’s arrest states that the FBI has alleged that Limkin was involved with O9A, 764, and an offshoot group called “Cultist.” The article cited by GNET regarding Cadenhead does not explicitly name 764, but the activities described in the article match the modus operandi for “com,” and a user named “Brad764” was associated with 764. The GNET article also connects a Nevada man named Chandler Pong to 764, but the source cited does not connect him to 764 or any group except “white supremacy and/or Nazi ideologies.” I have not found any news articles linking Pong to 764 or the broader extortion community. The GNET article also mentions Almeida, Merritt, and Nino Luciano H. The rest of the article is an interesting read, with some valuable insights such as the distinction between “doctrinal believers” and “aesthetic adopters” within the O9A. However, it is not always factually accurate regarding specific details of the extortion community; for example, its claim that H3ll is an offshoot of 764 is not consistent with my understanding of those groups.
NOTES
1.) Much of the evidence in this section comes from posts on the website Doxbin, where users collect and share other people’s personal information without their consent. Posts on Doxbin are inherently unreliable. I will not cite information from the Doxbin posts themselves, and instead will base all of my claims on photographs, videos, and chat screenshots that directly include usernames of the people being discussed, and will support them with more reliable sources whenever possible. To protect the privacy of the victims, all images will be mostly blacked out, with only the absolutely necessary evidence visible. Despite my apprehensions about sharing these images at all, I am not going to make serious accusations without evidence. Third, I will not be sharing the usernames of the people who leaked this evidence, even though I hate relying on someone else’s work without giving proper attribution. Whether or not it is ethical to release the information of abusers, these people do not just target the alleged abusers, but their family members as well. Additionally, I am aware of at least one case where a “dox” of a cvlt member was inaccurate and included the name and address of an unrelated person. The one thing I will say is that some of the images and videos come from a mostly-defunct group called “vile.” Vile is noteworthy because two of its members were arrested for getting into a federal law-enforcement database to find information that could be useful in extorting money from people.
2.) Despite reports, this post is currently still on Instagram.
3.) Fiylq’s account was taken down before I was able to take screenshots of the highlights. Though it is ultimately a good thing that the account is down, it means you will have to take me at my word about the contents of these posts. In addition to standard video edits associated with 764 and Harm Nation, one of the highlights focused on violent “crush porn,” depicting real footage of animals being crushed by feet or high-heeled shoes. The “Peter Scully” highlight ended with the phrase “Cunny for whites, [antisemtic expletive,]” with “cunny” being a term that refers to underage girls. Evidently, “fiylq” could not sit by and let non-Aryans ruin the good name of pedophilia.
4.) Individual members may be called to form their own nexion at a certain point in the initiatory process.
COLLECTED EVIDENCE
A. Images, videos, chat screenshots, social media accounts/posts (I would generally recommend against looking through these. I did my best to protect the privacy of the extortion victims, but in a few instances I included the voices of the abusers when necessary. However, many of the images are still disturbing.)
imgur link: https://imgur.com/a/r0mg71p
B. Partial catalog of Instagram follow and follower lists as of early November 2023. (This is already quite outdated as accounts have been removed and new ones have been made. I am leaving it as-is rather than attempting to keep it up to date because the main point is to illustrate that many of these extortion groups are, on some level, in contact with one another on social media.)
imgur link: https://imgur.com/a/qsc3vlF
WORKS CITED
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