WARNING: The following story contains information that may be disturbing to some.
A 17-year-old from Lethbridge faces charges following an investigation by the RCMP.
Officials said that on Sept. 3, the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team in Alberta arrested and charged the teen for offences related to terrorism, child sexual abuse and exploitation material, and animal cruelty.
Police said the team’s investigation started after receiving a referral from the Lethbridge Police Service, about a user of the online platform Discord who was reportedly connected to an online group involved in “ideologically motivated violent extremism”.
Officials said that it was determined that the user’s online activity was consistent with the activity of the ‘764 network’, a group listed as a terrorist entity in Dec. 2025.
According to officials, the network is a “transnational online ecosystem of violent online predators who routinely lure youth and encourage them to commit child sexual abuse and exploitation, self-harm, and the torture of animals”.
“Elements of the 764 network are known to have extreme ideological views and are victimizing children through desensitizing and radicalizing them to violence,” read a news release from the RCMP unit.
Police said the 17-year-old Lethbridge youth is charged with:
- Participation in activity of terrorist group contrary to section 83.18(1) of the Criminal Code;
- Facilitating terrorist activity contrary to section 83.19(1) of the Criminal Code; and,
- Commission of offence for terrorist group contrary to section 83.2 of the Criminal Code; and,
- Distribution of child sexual abuse and exploitation material contrary to section 163.1 (3) of the Criminal Code;
- Possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material contrary to section 163.1(4) of the Criminal Code; and,
- Causing unnecessary suffering to an animal contrary to section 445.1(1) of the Criminal Code.
The teen is scheduled to be in Lethbridge court on Oct. 14, 2026.
