Emmanuel Enwenwen

After enduring years of trauma at the hands of online predators, the family of a young victim in Texas finally feels a sense of relief following the arrest and prosecution of the main culprit involved in the case. The ordeal unfolded since 2021 when the predators coerced a 14-year-old Oklahoma girl into committing degrading and violent acts via live-streaming, threatening to expose a nude photo of her to her peers if she refused.

The girl’s mother, speaking anonymously to protect her family’s safety, recounted the horrifying events to The Washington Post. She described how the predators, operating under the guise of friendship and affection, manipulated her daughter into inflicting self-harm and performing grotesque acts, including carving their screen names into her thigh and beheading a pet hamster, all while being watched in an online chatroom.

The perpetrators, part of an international network of online groups, targeted vulnerable children, exploiting their mental health issues and coercing them into harming themselves on camera. Unlike traditional “sextortion” schemes, these predators sought not monetary gain but rather notoriety and a sense of power within a community that glorifies cruelty as reported in Wired Magazine.

Discord and Telegram, popular social media platforms among teens, served as the primary conduits for these predators to connect with vulnerable children. Despite efforts by the platforms to combat such abuse, including removing thousands of accounts associated with the group, the predators frequently circumvented these measures, creating new accounts and reconvening swiftly.

The arrest and prosecution of the group’s founder, Bradley Cadenhead, who operated under the screen names “Felix” or “Brad,” brings a glimmer of hope to the victims and their families. The 16-year-old Cadenhead orchestrated the operations of the 764 group from his mother’s residence in Texas. Court records reveal a disturbing online persona, where Cadenhead cultivated a following by promoting sadistic acts within what he described as a cult-like community.

Bradley Cadenhead was arrested in August 2021 when he was just 16 years old and was later certified to stand trial as an adult last year, 2023. Cadenhead pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 80 years in prison. Now 18 years old, he is currently incarcerated at Estelle State Prison in Huntsville, one of Texas’ highest-security correctional facilities as reported by Wired Magazine.

Speaking with The Washington Post last month, the mother of the Oklahoma girl expressed her relief upon learning of Cadenhead’s prosecution. According to her, it signals a step toward closure for her family after years of living in fear. While scars, both physical and emotional, remain as reminders of the trauma endured, the prosecution offers justice and the hope of preventing further harm to vulnerable children.

Photo Credit: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/online-groups-pressuring-youth-self-harm-1.7107885