VERNON, Conn — A 17-year-old girl from Vernon is facing several charges after a year-long investigation into bomb threats and swatting incidents. Police say the teen was part of a global cybercrime network called 764, but they she may have also been a victim of the group herself.
The group, known as "764," is known to law enforcement for targeting minors on video games like Roblox, the chat application Discord, and other platforms. According to the FBI, they target minors between 8 and 17 years of age "especially LGBTQ+ youth, racial minorities, and those who struggle with a variety of mental health issues, such as depression and suicidal ideation."
The group then uses extortion and threats to coerce the kids into committing illegal, sometimes violent acts, including self-harm, sexual violence, bestiality, murder, and sometimes suicide.
In Vernon, local police have worked with the FBI and state police to track the source of threats to schools, community organizations, and religious institutions.
"There is still more work to be done and hopefully more arrests will come out of this," said Vernon Police Lt. Robert Marra.
Lt. Marra said that officers had spoken to their counterparts in neighboring countries and overseas, as well, in an investigation that spans the globe.
The Ellington Historical Society was among the organizations targeted by bomb threats in the case. That threat came by email.
"They actually hacked into an innocent person’s email and sent the email as if it was from the woman," said Diane Trueb, Vice President of the Historical Society. "The threats were obviously not real because of the way they were written but it still uses all these resources, and we had to call the police, and they have to investigate but at least as a result they got to the bottom of who is really behind it."
The teen was charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit threatening (against a public school), first-degree conspiracy to falsely report an incident (bomb threat), and second-degree conspiracy to commit breach of peace.
Vernon officials are encouraging parents and guardians to monitor their children's online activity closely and to educate themselves on groups like "764."
They also ask parents to familiarize themselves with the warning signs of self-harm or suicide, including sudden behavioral changes (becoming withdrawn, moody, or irritable, etc.), sudden changes in appearance, changes in eating or sleeping habits, dropping out of activities, and becoming more isolated and withdrawn. They also ask parents to watch for any scars that are often in patterns, fresh cuts, scratches, bruises, bite marks, burns, or other wounds.
"While you might not know what your child is doing every minute of every day on the internet, there are opportunities to look and see if there are changes in them," says Christa Rider of the CT Department of Children & Families. "Does their physical appearance look different? Are there behavioral changes? You know your kid best."
The investigation remains open. Vernon police ask anyone with information, questions, or concerns to call Detective Thomas Van Tasel at 860-77209126 ext. 3767 or email tvantasel@vernon-ct.gov.
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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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