An Arizona man faces terrorism charges after a federal grand jury indictment accused him of leading a worldwide child exploitation enterprise, according to a press release by the Department of Justice on Oct. 30.
Baron Cain Martin, a 21-year-old Tucson resident who was accused of leading a network of online predators known as “764,” faces 29 counts for a slew of crimes that range from supporting terrorists and producing and distributing child pornography to conspiring to kill, kidnap, or maim persons in a foreign country.
“This man’s alleged crimes are unthinkably depraved and reflect the horrific danger of 764—if convicted, he will face severe consequences as we work to dismantle this evil network,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in the press release. “I urge parents to remain vigilant about the threats their children face online.”
The DOJ stated that 764 is “a criminal organization of Nihilistic Violent Extremists” “operating within the United States and abroad.” Its members, the department stated, target “vulnerable, underage populations by using social media to encourage the possession, production, and sharing of extreme gore media and child sexual abuse material.”
The Epoch Times reached out to Martin’s attorney for comment.
Since 2019, Martin allegedly used the online moniker “Convict” as he participated in 764 chat rooms and convinced minors to create child pornography, extortion videos, and animal crushing videos, according to the DOJ.
The suspect also faces allegations of conspiring with others to direct a victim outside of the United States to participate in self-harm and suicide and penning an online guide on how to groom children.
Martin, who has been in federal custody since being accused of cyber stalking and producing sexually explicit material of children in December 2024, was also accused of “providing material support to terrorists by providing himself as personnel, services, and expert advice or assistance to carry out a conspiracy to kill or maim a person in a foreign country.”
“His actions as a leader of this criminal network were so atrocious and extreme that he is charged with supporting terrorism,” FBI Director Kash Patel stated in the press release.
“It’s alleged that Martin not only committed these crimes but wrote and posted a guide for others to use to identify, groom, and extort their own victims,“ Patel said. ”The FBI will not stop until we find those who perpetrate these horrific crimes that prey on the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
The FBI defines domestic terrorism as “violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.”
The United States has not officially designated “764” as a foreign terrorist organization, like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, but Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg called the group an “online terror network” that targets children.
If Martin is found guilty, he could face life in prison for each count that accuses him of participating in a child exploitation enterprise, conspiracy to kill, kidnap, or maim persons in a foreign country, and coercion and enticement of a child.
Martin is the latest suspect to be hit with multiple charges relating to the “764” criminal organization.
Prosecutors charged alleged 764 member Tony Christopher Long with animal crushing, sexual exploitation of a minor, cyberstalking, and interstate threats on Oct. 27.
