Quebec Man Accused of Enlisting Minors for 764 Network Arrested on Terror Charges

A Quebec City man is facing terrorism charges and is accused of posting violent content online in a bid to radicalize minors for the online extremist group 764 Network.

Jeffrey Roussel, 26, is accused of using the platform Telegram to advocate for the violent ideology of 764, a group recently added to Canada’s list of terrorist entities, the RCMP said in a press release.

Roussel is accused of publishing “graphic, violent, and highly disturbing content” online in a bid to inspire and recruit young people, police said.

He has been charged with participating in an activity of a terrorist group, facilitating terrorist activity, and the commission of an offence for a terrorist group. The victims, who have not yet been identified, are thought to be mainly teenagers, the RCMP said.

Roussel appeared before a judge in Quebec City on April 22.

According to Public Safety Canada’s terrorist listing, 764 is a decentralized transnational network of online nihilistic violent extremists, whose core beliefs are rooted in a hatred of humanity. The group rejects all forms of religious, moral, and social values and pushes the belief that life is meaningless.

The network is known for targeting adolescents and children as young as eight, often coercing them into capturing and distributing intimate images or participating in self-harm, violent acts, and cruelty toward animals.

The group actively targets minors on online gaming or social media platforms and popular mobile apps such as Discord, Telegram, Roblox, and Minecraft, the RCMP said.

“Its objective is to manipulate, recruit and radicalize youth to commit violent acts, both online and offline, by disseminating propaganda and discourse that promotes violent extremism,” the federal police agency said.

Predators from groups like the 764 Network use grooming techniques that may involve forming trusting or romantic connections, or using power or coercive methods to persuade victims to engage in severe violence, self-harm, or “gore” activities, the RCMP said.

“This almost always escalates over time, but can also increase rapidly,” the website reads. “The predator influences the child or youth into conducting acts that increasingly shame, incriminate, or isolate them, making them vulnerable to further exploitation.”

These acts can include recording or photographing themselves, siblings or others in sexually explicit poses, harming or killing animals, committing other acts of violence, or attempting suicide.

The RCMP said parents should remain “highly vigilant when youth are using online spaces.”

Some warning signs for parents to watch for in their children are dropping grades, mood swings, becoming quiet and withdrawn, isolating in their room, and excessive use of the internet and online platforms, the RCMP said in a separate post.

Other warning signs include evidence of cuts on their bodies, family pets showing fear or being harmed, and a fascination with violence, school shootings, serial killers, or the occult.