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Arrest and complaint

On April 15, 2025, Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui signed a sealed criminal complaint charging Nepal and Varagiannis with engaging in a child exploitation enterprise under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(g).²³ The affidavit was sworn by Andrew Rust, a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington Field Office assigned to counterterrorism and Nihilistic Violent Extremism investigations.² Nepal was arrested in High Point, North Carolina, on April 22, 2025, eight days before the announcement.³⁴

The complaint was unsealed on April 30, 2025, on an order of Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya, when the Justice Department announced charges against both men. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and FBI officials in Washington and New York.³⁵ Varagiannis was arrested in Greece the previous day.⁵

The docket records Rule 5(c)(3) documents received from the Middle District of North Carolina, under case 1:25-mj-00151, on May 12, 2025, and a protective order governing discovery entered the same day by Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey.³ Paulette Pagan appeared as defense counsel on May 1, 2025.³ On May 21, 2025, Nepal had his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh in Washington; the government's oral motion for a speedy trial was granted, time was excluded through July 21, 2025, and the minute entry records that he was committed.⁶ A WGHP report published April 30, 2025 said he was held in the Guilford County jail on a federal hold and that court filings showed he had a public defender.⁴ At the July 21, 2025 status hearing, the minute entry records that Nepal "had a detention hearing in the arresting jurisdiction and waived the right to challenge that finding with the District Judge."⁷

Charges and indictment

The complaint charged one count, under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(g). Its affidavit describes conduct from January 2024 through March 2025 and lists as predicate offenses attempted sexual exploitation of a child under 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a), coercion and enticement of a minor and conspiracy to commit it under 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), and conspiracy to distribute or receive child pornography under 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2).² At the 2025 announcement, the Justice Department said the defendants faced a maximum penalty of life in prison.⁵

A grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Nepal and Varagiannis on September 26, 2025, docketed as No. 1:25-cr-00304 and assigned to Judge Reggie B. Walton.⁸ Count One charges a child exploitation enterprise under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(g) and carries a forfeiture allegation.⁹ The indictment alleges that the enterprise ran from a date before 2021 through about April 29, 2025.⁹ It lists the monikers of 22 alleged co-conspirators and designates nine minor victims by number.⁹ Nepal pleaded not guilty to Count One at his arraignment before Judge Walton on October 3, 2025, and remained committed.¹⁰ The case was continued for status conferences on repeated defense motions and excluded-time orders through 2025 and 2026, with Nepal's written waivers of speedy trial rights docketed on December 10, 2025 and March 6, 2026.¹¹

The Justice Department names Justin Sher and James Donnelly, trial attorneys in the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Shinskie and Janani Iyengar for the District of Columbia, as prosecutors in the October 2026 release.¹ On March 30, 2026, Judge Walton granted the substitution of David Benowitz for Pagan as counsel, and Benowitz appeared May 18, 2026.¹²

Monikers and role in 764 Inferno

The affidavit places Nepal in 764 from its inception in late 2020 or early 2021. It states that after the August 25, 2021 arrest of an individual it calls "Individual 1," Nepal emerged as a leader and remained in that position.² CBC News reported that Nepal had been involved in 764 since its inception in 2020 and emerged as its leader in August 2021 after the founder, Bradley Chance Cadenhead, was arrested by the FBI, and that Cadenhead is serving an 80-year sentence.¹³ The affidavit cites July 2021 iMessages between Individual 1 and Nepal in which the two discuss founding 764 together.² The 2026 release says Nepal joined 764 in or around early 2021 and worked with others, including Individual 1, to establish the group.¹

The affidavit says Nepal used the monikers "Leather Jacket," "Rebirth" and "KingKrampus," and was best known in 764 Inferno as "Trippy." The 2026 release adds "Indras Jester."¹²

Nepal and Varagiannis ran 764 Inferno's operations within The Com ecosystem. 764 Inferno is described as a channel on an encrypted messaging application, access to which was reserved for an inner core of members invited by the leaders. The affidavit states that Nepal and Varagiannis controlled recruitment and performed the roles of owner or administrator.² The indictment states that Nepal and Varagiannis, with a co-conspirator known as "Fail," controlled recruitment to 764, decided which admitted members entered 764 Inferno or were excluded, decided who was promoted, required members to keep producing and posting content to remain, and regularly monitored the channel's activity.⁹ It alleges that prospective members were required to produce and share content, some of it depicting minors in sexual conduct or self-harm.²⁹

Allegations in the charging documents

The affidavit alleges the following conduct by Nepal:

In July 2019, messages allegedly sent on Snapchat offering to send child sexual abuse material (CSAM).²
On May 27, 2024, step-by-step instructions for grooming and extorting a potential victim, which the affidavit quotes.²
On June 25, 2024, telling a co-conspirator that prospective recruits would not be taken in "unless they do some crazy shit."²
On July 22, 2024, asking a co-conspirator whether he was going to "beat some ass" and instructing him to use a weapon.²
On September 30, 2024, stating "we're not anti-extortion" and that he preferred extortion to continue.²

The indictment repeats the June 25, 2024 exchange, in which Nepal asked a co-conspirator who he wanted recruited and then declined to recruit the named candidates on that standard.¹⁴ It alleges that on September 30, 2024, Nepal wrote in 764 Inferno a statement defending extortion of girls as a form of discipline, and that on October 4, 2024 he answered a member's post by telling him that an image and the girl's school could be used to blackmail her by threatening to show the image to her family and friends.¹⁴ It further alleges that Nepal was active in 764 Inferno on June 14, 2024 (posting five minutes before and seventeen minutes after a co-conspirator posted a link to a compilation of material depicting a minor), on June 18, 2024 (when he also discussed with "Fail" removing members from the channel for arguing), and on August 29, 2024, when co-conspirators posted similar compilations.¹⁵ The indictment defines "Lorebooks" as compilations edited from material obtained from victims by blackmail and coercion, shared on social media platforms and stored in online "vaults" kept by designated members in case other members were arrested, and states that Lorebooks containing child pornography served as currency within 764.¹⁶

The affidavit also alleges that Nepal and Varagiannis, with two co-conspirators, wrote a guide for prospective members on grooming and extortion, and that Varagiannis posted it in a public 764 channel on September 13, 2024.² The guide told recruits to target vulnerable people, such as those with depression or mental illness, whom it called "e-girls."²⁹ The Justice Department says the defendants used the material they obtained to create Lorebook, which served as digital currency within the network, and that they instructed other members in grooming tactics and set content production expectations for new recruits.⁵ The release says the group's content included "cut signs" and "blood signs," through which young girls would cut symbols into their bodies, and that victims were coerced into producing degrading and explicit content through manipulation and threats.⁵

Plea and sentencing

On October 6, 2026, the government filed a one-count information against Nepal alone, dated October 5, 2026 and signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Shinskie. It charges that from a date before January 1, 2021 through about April 29, 2025, Nepal conspired with Varagiannis and others to employ, use, persuade, induce, entice and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e), with a forfeiture allegation.¹⁷ The docket for October 8, 2026 records a plea agreement, a statement of offense, a waiver of indictment and a waiver of jury trial, and a minute entry for arraignment and plea agreement hearing with the case referred for a presentence report.¹⁸

The release says Nepal pleaded guilty before Judge Walton on October 8, 2026 to conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child, that he faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison, and that sentencing is set for March 5, 2027.¹¹⁹ FBI Director Kash Patel called the plea "the latest victory in the FBI's work with partners to dismantle the violent 764 network."¹ Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg said that Nepal "treated the suffering of the group's victims as currency to be traded among his co-conspirators."¹ CyberScoop reported that the indictment accused the two defendants of exploiting at least eight minor victims, some as young as 13, across multiple jurisdictions.²⁰

Varagiannis and the Greek proceedings

Greek police arrested Varagiannis in Thessaloniki on April 29, 2025, on a U.S. request, and an appellate prosecutor there took his first appearance on April 30; Euronews reported in May 2025 that he denied the charges and opposed extradition to the United States.²¹²²²³ On July 9, 2025, the Associated Press reported from Thessaloniki that a court had rejected the extradition request because he had applied for, and was eligible to receive, Greek citizenship.²⁴ On October 17, 2025, To Vima reported the Greek arrest of an unnamed 21-year-old Greek-American man in Thessaloniki on felony charges of participating in a U.S.-based criminal organization that trafficked child pornography, and described him as the person arrested the previous April on the U.S. request whose extradition an appellate council had rejected because of dual citizenship.²⁵ The October 2026 release states that Varagiannis is held at Grevena Prison in northern Greece and is expected to be tried there within six months on charges related to child pornography and participation in a criminal organization.¹ As a U.S. resident arrested in North Carolina, Nepal faced direct federal prosecution in the District of Columbia without extradition proceedings, in contrast to Varagiannis.⁵

The superseding indictment against Baron Cain Martin in the District of Arizona (No. 4:25-cr-00190), filed October 29, 2025 in a version redacted for public disclosure, refers to his co-conspirators as "conspirators," "coconspirators," "Conspirator 1" and "others, known and unknown." The unredacted version was filed under seal.²⁶ The Justice Department's October 31, 2025 release describes Martin as having conspired "with others."²⁷

Footnotes

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. "Leader of Global Violent Extremist Network '764' Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Sexually Exploit Minors." Press Release 26-1164, October 9, 2026 (reporting a plea "yesterday"). https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/leader-global-violent-extremist-network-764-pleads-guilty-conspiracy-sexually-exploit-minors ↩︎
United States v. Nepal, No. 1:25-mj-00061-ZMF (D.D.C.), Criminal Complaint and Affidavit in Support of Arrest Warrant of FBI Special Agent Andrew Rust, sworn April 15, 2025 (affidavit paragraphs 1 through 29; footnote 3 for the iMessages). https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/media/1398431/dl ↩︎
CourtListener RECAP docket for United States v. Nepal, No. 1:25-cr-00304-RBW (D.D.C.), entries carried over from No. 1:25-mj-00061-ZMF: sealed complaint and sealing order (April 15, 2025), arrest warrant returned executed (April 22, 2025), motion to unseal (April 29, 2025) and order (April 30, 2025), notice of appearance of Paulette Pagan (May 1, 2025), Rule 5(c)(3) documents from No. 1:25-mj-00151 (M.D.N.C.) and protective order (May 12, 2025). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71487411/united-states-v-nepal/ ↩︎
WGHP, "High Point man arrested as part of international child exploitation ring '764,' DOJ says," April 30, 2025, syndicated on Yahoo News. https://www.yahoo.com/news/high-point-man-arrested-part-174645212.html ; Carolina Journal, "High Point man charged with operating international child exploitation network," May 1, 2025. https://www.carolinajournal.com/high-point-man-charged-with-operating-international-child-exploitation-network/ ↩︎
U.S. Department of Justice, USAO-DC. "Leaders of 764 Arrested and Charged for Operating Global Child Exploitation Enterprise." April 30, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/leaders-764-arrested-and-charged-operating-global-child-exploitation-enterprise ↩︎
United States v. Nepal, No. 1:25-cr-00304-RBW (D.D.C.), docket, minute entry for the proceeding of May 21, 2025 before Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh (return on arrest warrant and initial appearance; speedy trial excluded May 21 to July 21, 2025; committed). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71487411/united-states-v-nepal/ ↩︎
United States v. Nepal, No. 1:25-cr-00304-RBW (D.D.C.), docket, minute entry for the status hearing of July 21, 2025 before Magistrate Judge Sharbaugh (detention hearing held in the arresting jurisdiction; challenge waived; speedy trial excluded July 21 to September 16, 2025). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71487411/united-states-v-nepal/ ↩︎
United States v. Nepal, No. 1:25-cr-00304-RBW (D.D.C.), docket entry 19 (indictment as to Nepal and Varagiannis, count 1, forfeiture allegation; dated September 26, 2025, entered September 29, 2025) and entry 21 (general order of Judge Walton, September 30, 2025). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71487411/united-states-v-nepal/ ↩︎
Indictment, United States v. Nepal and Varagiannis, No. 1:25-cr-00304-RBW (D.D.C.), Doc. 19, filed September 26, 2025, paragraphs 9 to 17, 32 to 52 and Count One. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.285418/gov.uscourts.dcd.285418.19.0.pdf ↩︎
United States v. Nepal, No. 1:25-cr-00304-RBW (D.D.C.), docket, minute entry for the arraignment of October 3, 2025 before Judge Walton (plea of not guilty to Count 1; committed) and order of October 3, 2025 (entry 22). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71487411/united-states-v-nepal/ ↩︎
United States v. Nepal, No. 1:25-cr-00304-RBW (D.D.C.), docket entries 22, 25, 27 to 31, 35, 37 to 40 and 42 (orders continuing status conferences and excluding time, November 2025 through September 2026; notices of waiver of speedy trial rights, entries 28 and 30). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71487411/united-states-v-nepal/ ↩︎
United States v. Nepal, No. 1:25-cr-00304-RBW (D.D.C.), docket entries 32 (motion to substitute attorney, March 26, 2026), 33 (order of March 30, 2026 terminating the appearance of Paulette M. Pagan and substituting David Benowitz) and 34 (notice of appearance of David Barry Benowitz, May 18, 2026). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71487411/united-states-v-nepal/ ↩︎
CBC News (The Fifth Estate), "Alleged leaders of child exploitation cult known as 764 arrested, charged," May 1, 2025. https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.7524177 ↩︎
Indictment, Doc. 19, paragraphs 19 and 25. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.285418/gov.uscourts.dcd.285418.19.0.pdf ↩︎
Indictment, Doc. 19, paragraphs 34, 42 and 44. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.285418/gov.uscourts.dcd.285418.19.0.pdf ↩︎
Indictment, Doc. 19, paragraphs 29 and 30. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.285418/gov.uscourts.dcd.285418.19.0.pdf ↩︎
Information, United States v. Nepal, No. 1:25-cr-00304-RBW (D.D.C.), Doc. 43, dated October 5, 2026, docketed October 6, 2026. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.285419/gov.uscourts.dcd.285419.43.0_1.pdf ↩︎
United States v. Nepal, No. 1:25-cr-00304-RBW (D.D.C.), docket entries 45 (plea agreement), 46 (statement of offense), 47 (waiver of indictment) and 48 (waiver of trial by jury), and the minute entry of October 8, 2026 (arraignment and plea agreement hearing; plea entered; referred for presentence report). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71487411/united-states-v-nepal/ ↩︎
7News (CBS12), "Leader of violent extremist network '764' pleads guilty in DC child exploitation case," October 8, 2026 (plea entered Thursday before Judge Walton). https://cbs12.com/news/nation-world/leader-764-violent-extremist-network-guilty-dc-child-exploitation-federal-minors-prosecutors-north-carolina-prasan-nepal-high-point-trippy-prison-cruelty-violence-children-minors-game-domination-control-varagiannis-war-washington-district-of-columbia ↩︎
CyberScoop, "Leader of 764 pleads guilty, faces up to 30 years in prison," October 8, 2026. https://cyberscoop.com/764-leader-prasan-nepal-guilty/ ↩︎
Protothema, "Συνελήφθη στη Θεσσαλονίκη μέλος της οργάνωσης «764» για υποθέσεις παιδικής πορνογραφίας" (report of the Greek police statement), April 30, 2025. https://www.protothema.gr/greece/article/1632347/sunelifthi-sti-thessaloniki-melos-tis-organosis-764-gia-upotheseis-paidikis-pornografias-ton-anazitouse-i-interpol/ ↩︎
Associated Press, "US citizen wanted in 'nihilistic' child sexual exploitation case arrested in Greece," April 30, 2025. https://www.aol.com/news/us-citizen-wanted-nihilistic-child-153301955.html ↩︎
Euronews, "US citizen faces extradition from Greece for alleged role in online child exploitation ring," May 1, 2025. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/05/01/us-citizen-faces-extradition-from-greece-for-alleged-role-in-online-child-exploitation-rin ↩︎
Associated Press, "Greek court rejects extradition request for US national accused of running child exploitation site," July 9, 2025. https://mynorthwest.com/world/greek-court-rejects-extradition-request-for-us-national-accused-of-running-child-exploitation-site/4108364 ↩︎
To Vima, "2 Suspects Arrested in Thessaloniki in Int'l Child Porn Investigation," October 17, 2025. https://www.tovima.com/society/2-suspects-arrested-in-thessaloniki-in-intl-child-porn-investigation/ ↩︎
Superseding Indictment (Redacted for Public Disclosure), United States v. Martin, No. 4:25-cr-00190 (D. Ariz.), Doc. 53, filed October 29, 2025; sealed unredacted version, Doc. 54. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.azd.1421217/gov.uscourts.azd.1421217.53.0_1.pdf ↩︎
U.S. Department of Justice, OPA. "Arizona Leader of Violent Extremist Network '764' Charged with Running a Child Exploitation Enterprise, Supporting Terrorists, Producing and Distributing Child Pornography, and Other Crimes." October 31, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/arizona-leader-violent-extremist-network-764-charged-running-child-exploitation-enterprise ↩︎

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