November 10, 2024 – Richard Anthony Reyna Densmore, 47, of Kaleva, Michigan, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexually exploiting a child. Densmore pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, part of a broader indictment that charged him with other child exploitation offenses.

"Richard Densmore will spend the next 30 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a child and for his role in creating 764’s online networks that coerced children into recording themselves engaging in self-harm, sexually explicit acts, and violence" said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "No child should have to experience this heinous abuse. The Justice Department will ensure that criminals engaged in this depraved conduct are held accountable in a court of law."

"This defendant orchestrated a community to target children through online gaming sites and used extortion and blackmail to force his minor victims to record themselves committing acts of self-harm and violence," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "If you prey on children online, you can’t hide behind a keyboard. The FBI will use all our resources and authorities to arrest you and hold you accountable."

"This case represents a new and depraved threat against our kids and our communities: violent online extremists who manipulate their minor victims to commit self-harm and create sexually explicit images," said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten for the Western District of Michigan. "While we will always fight to hold criminals like Richard Densmore accountable, we want to prevent this crime as much as possible. Parents: please talk with your children about this threat; monitor their social media use; and let them know they can always come to you if they mess up."

Densmore is a member of 764, a network of violent extremists who seek to normalize the production, sharing, and possession of child pornography and gore material to desensitize and corrupt youth toward future acts of violence. Members of 764 gain notoriety by systematically targeting, grooming, and extorting victims through online social media platforms. Members demand that victims engage in and share media of self-mutilation, sexual acts, harm to animals, acts of random violence, suicide, and murder, all for the purpose of accelerating chaos and disrupting society and the world order.

Densmore, known as "Rabid," became notorious in the 764 network by creating online "Sewer" communities on Discord where members recruited children – including by infiltrating online gaming sites that children frequent – to cut themselves and engage in graphic sexual acts. Densmore boosted membership in "Sewer" by advertising livestreams of children engaging in self-mutilation (cutshows) and sexually explicit activity "on cam." He threatened victims to cut themselves by telling them, "I have all your information. I own you. . . . You do what I say now kitten."  Densmore kept child pornography and bloody images of "Rabid," "Sewer," and "764" carved into victims’ limbs, in some cases with razor blades and boxcutters nearby.

Densmore also sexually exploited children. In October 2022, Densmore unsuccessfully tried to persuade a minor girl, Jane Doe, to send him an explicit picture with "Rabid" written on her bare chest. When she expressed discomfort with that request, Densmore contacted another Discord user and paid him Nitro, a form of Discord currency, to help secure a sexually explicit picture of Jane Doe. Densmore’s efforts were successful and Jane Doe, at the request of the other Discord user, sent Densmore and the user a nude video of herself with "Rabid" written on her chest.

The Justice Department and FBI reminds parents and caregivers to understand and monitor their children’s online activities. They should also look for unexpected packages, as members of these abuse and extortion networks are known to send children razor blades, sexual devices, gifts, and other materials to use in creating online content. The FBI further advised the public to take a number of precautionary steps, including:

• Looking for fresh cuts, bruises, wounds, and scars in unusual patterns;
• Looking for sudden behavior and appearance changes;
• Being attentive to children wearing long sleeves or pants in unusual circumstances;
• Monitoring children’s online activity and discussing the risks of sharing information and content; and
• Running frequent online searches of family and children’s information to help identify and prevent the spread of personal information on the internet.

If you are worried about someone who might be self-harming or is at risk of suicide, please consult a health care professional or call 911 in the event of an immediate threat.

FBI investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Townshend for the Western District of Michigan prosecuted the case, with valuable assistance from Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.

Last Thursday:

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen Delivers Remarks on 30-Year Prison Sentence for Member of Terror Network 764

Location
Washington, DC
United States

The National Security Division (NSD) is responsible for protecting Americans from terrorism and violent extremist threats. Every day, we work with our partners to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute terrorists and violent extremists who seek to promote violence and violate the law.

I am here representing NSD today because the defendant in this case, Richard Densmore, is a member of a dangerous network of violent extremists known as 764.

This group seeks to do unspeakable harm to children to advance their goals of destroying civilized society, fomenting civil unrest, and ultimately colllapsing the U.S. Government.

764 is an online network of individuals who seek to normalize and weaponize the possession, production, and distribution of child sexual abuse material and other types of graphic and violent material.

In service of their violent ideologies, the 764 network extorts young victims into recording or livestreaming acts of self-harm. The members often share these materials among themselves to further victimize children. The groups control their victims through extreme fear.

Many members have an end-goal of forcing their victims to commit suicide on livestream for the 764 network’s entertainment, or for the perpetrator’s own sense of fame within the 764 network.

It is difficult to even comprehend such shocking and inhumane violence targeted at innocent and vulnerable children. But we cannot look away. The FBI has previously warned the public about 764 and other violent online groups, who deliberately target children on publicly available platforms, including popular messaging, gaming, and social media platforms. These groups often target young people struggling with mental health issues.

As alleged, the defendant in this case, Richard Densmore, ran chat rooms and Discord servers that facilitated the exchange of child sexual abuse material, helping to create forums where other online predators could find children. His actions targeted and exploited minor victims. He forced children to cut themselves and to produce graphic material.

Now, he is being held accountable for his crimes. 

Today’s sentence of 30 years in prison underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to stopping acts of terrorism and disrupting the online groups who engage in this abhorrent behavior. And they show our resolve to bring every available tool to bear in countering these threats.

I want to thank U.S. Attorney Mark Totten and his team in the Western District of Michigan, as well as NSD’s Counterterrorism Section.  I would also like to thank the FBI Field Office and Domestic Terrorism Operations Section for their hard work in disrupting this dangerous online network.

Source: DOJ Release