A network of different groups and individuals, known collectively as “The Comm,” have committed a variety of heinous acts including convincing teens to record or live-stream acts of self-harm, suicide, animal torture and produce child sexual abuse material.
Peter Smith
Canadian Anti-Hate Network
Screen capture of a video created by the Comm group 764. Source: Telegram
This article includes descriptions of self-harm, suicide, and child sexual abuse material.
Parents, guardians, and caring adults in the lives of children and youth who are aware of a child or youth being targeted or exploited should report the information to Cybertip.ca or your local police. If you believe someone is in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.
A brutal transnational online network of individuals operating in Canada and around the globe are targeting minors, convincing them to record or live stream horrific acts ranging from self-harm and torturing animals, to producing child sexual abuse material.
One of the most vicious and prevalent collectives to emerge from online extremist spaces, there are multiple groups and associations that make up what has come to be called “The Comm” — short for The Community.
“One IMVE group targeting children is commonly known as the 764 network (or "the com") but goes by various monikers,” the RCMP said in a news release. “Some of the largest sub-groups are known as: CVLT, Court, Kaskar, Harm Nation, Leak Society, 7997, 8884, 2992, 6996, 555, Slit Town, 545, 404, NMK, 303, and H3ll.”
764 is by far the best-known of the many subgroups active within this ecosystem, particularly due to the arrests of several of its members. According to Mack Lamoureux, the 764 network pushed individuals into horrific acts of violence and self-harm. Though its founder, then-17-year-old Bradley Cadenhead, was sentenced to life in prison, the network remains active and has included at least one Canadian minor.
“The Comm has existed for a while now, with the InfoSec (information security) community being aware of the network for their SIM Swapping, swatting, and cyber criminal activities,” Marc-André Argentino, a senior research fellow at the Accelerationist Research Consortium wrote about the network in May. “Comm has existed on other messaging platforms like Team Speak and Kik; however, the current iteration of the network is primarily on Discord with a growing population of users on Telegram dubbed ‘telecom.’ They use these messaging platforms to engage in widespread criminal acts.”
Recording and gamifying each step of the process of indoctrination and exploitation, Comm members track the manner that they lead their victims into committing heinous acts alongside the actual product of the extortion in “lore books.”
In some cases, victims are manipulated into using blades to cut the screen names of their abusers into their skin. Perpetrators use these images to increase their reputation and status within the community.
One act leads to another with 764 and images and video-created by victims are then used to coerce them into committing more, sometimes escalating acts of depravity and harm. The images and lore books are then circulated among the group and online.
Some victims go on to exploit others in a similar manner, perpetuating the cycle of abuse.
The Comm often defies typical labels that have come to define hate and extremist networks. While there are elements of other extremist groups, like the satanic Order of Nine Angles (O9A)—an occult order commonly associated with neo-Nazi movements—researchers generally view these connections to Comm as aesthetic with some notable exceptions. Imagery and symbols from the O9A are shared by members of these networks, but the purpose and motivations of the network do not draw from the spanning philosophical texts of the order.
Many Comm groups do not restrict its membership to individuals of European descent. Members are focused on committing acts viewed as repulsive and immoral by society in order to boost their reputations within the network, rather than achieving goals of racial supremacy. This means that while the symbols of National Socialism and overt racism are frequently used by Comm associates, they do not directly reflect the network’s ideology.
Comm networks often communicate using the encrypted messaging application Telegram and Discord, a chat program originally intended for gamers, but is utilized by millions to create and manage online communities. Victims are sometimes recruited in video games popular with children like Minecraft and Roblox. Targeted individuals will receive direct messages or be invited to move to other platforms “where the conversation quickly becomes sexualized or violent,” according to the RCMP.
Some Comm groups do engage in financial crime, with individuals teaching each other how to carry out a variety of scams using stolen financial information. It is worth noting that the extortion aspects of Comm are rarely for financial gain, rather focusing on further tormenting and, conversely, radicalizing their victims. In some cases, there are clear separations between Comm groups focused on sexual exploitation and monetary gain.
Law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada have issued warnings to parents laying out the threat posed by communities like Comm. In 2023, the FBI released a bulletin warning people about 764 and associated networks.
In a statement released by the RCMP’s National Security Program on August 27, they lay out some of the activities of the Comm. The notice includes indicators for parents that their children may have fallen victim to or otherwise be engaging with Comm.
“There are many major crimes being committed by these groups. Most concerning is the sexual exploitation, harm inflicted on children and animals, and aim to get victims to commit suicide on camera,” the statement said.
Earlier this year, a 14-year-old from Lethbridge was charged with making child pornography, distributing child pornography, possession of child pornography, non-consensual distribution of intimate images and making/possession of explosives. Media reporting has linked the teen to the Comm network.
In July 2024, RCMP in Newfoundland also issued a public notice warning of a “violent online network” targeting children from ages eight to 17, “particularly 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, racial minorities and those with mental health issues.” The notice named 764, Court, and several other groups from the Comm networks.
If a child or youth in your life has been affected by online sexual victimization, or you have yourself, contact the Canadian Centre for Child Protection for support and resources.
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