Prasan Nepal, a 21-year-old resident of High Point, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on 9 October 2025 in a US federal court to conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child, admitting his role as a senior leader of 764 — a violent international online extremist network that systematically targeted vulnerable minors across the United States and multiple other countries. The plea was entered before US District Judge Reggie B. Walton in Washington, DC.

Who is Prasan Nepal and What Did He Admit

Nepal, who operated online under the alias 'Trippy', acknowledged directing the operations, recruitment, and internal rules of the 764 network from approximately 2021 through 2025. According to court documents, he assumed a leadership role after another senior member's arrest in August 2021 and remained in that position until his own arrest in April 2025 as part of an international investigation.

Federal prosecutors said Nepal and co-defendant Leonidas Varagiannis, known online as 'War', coordinated the group's activities through encrypted messaging platforms. The two allegedly helped enforce the network's internal hierarchy while directing members to produce increasingly abusive material targeting children.

How the 764 Network Operated

The 764 network used encrypted platforms to recruit members and exploit minors through threats, manipulation, and extortion. The group maintained a subgroup called 764 Inferno and operated across national borders. Investigators identified at least eight minor victims across multiple jurisdictions, including children as young as 13.

Prosecutors said network leaders maintained strict control over membership and pressured victims into producing sexually exploitative and violent material. Some members allegedly stored exploitative content on electronic devices, while others ran online extortion schemes targeting children. The network included participants operating in the Washington metropolitan area and other parts of the United States.

What Officials Said

FBI Director Kash Patel called the guilty plea 'the latest victory in the FBI's work with partners to dismantle the violent 764 network.' Patel added that arrests connected to 764 had increased by nearly 500 per cent last year through cooperation between the FBI and state and local law enforcement agencies.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said Nepal had used his leadership position to coordinate unspeakable crimes. 'He directed unspeakable crimes and then treated the suffering of the group's victims as currency to be traded among his co-conspirators,' Eisenberg said.

US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia said the case demonstrated how online extremist networks exploit vulnerable children through organised systems of coercion.

Sentencing and Co-Defendant Status

Nepal faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison, according to the Justice Department. His sentencing is scheduled for 5 March 2027.

Co-defendant Varagiannis is reportedly held at Grevena Prison in northern Greece and is expected to face trial there on charges related to child sexual abuse material and participation in a criminal organisation.

Broader Significance of the Case

This prosecution is part of what federal authorities describe as an intensifying crackdown on transnational online child exploitation networks. The near-500 per cent rise in 764-related arrests signals a sustained multi-agency effort rather than a one-off case. Notably, the case underscores the growing challenge that encrypted platforms pose for law enforcement when extremist networks weaponise them against minors. Authorities have not publicly disclosed whether additional indictments in other jurisdictions are pending.