A sinister online network celebrating satanism, sex abuse and brutality is at work in Ireland - and targeting Irish children... here's how a child is tricked into sending compromising images, believing themselves to be friends or in a relationship

Published: 22:20, 6 August 2026 | Updated: 22:21, 6 August 2026 A cyber-security expert has warned parents that their children could become criminal perpetrators of sadistic acts of violence through socialising online. Several online groups – largely consisting of minors – which celebrate child sexual abuse, violence for its own sake and other ‘shock’ material have come to the attention of international authorities over the past number of years. Known collectively as ‘The Com’ and often claiming satanic ideologies, some of the more popular sub-networks include 764, No Lives Matter and Maniacs Murder Cult. Gardaí and Tusla have confirmed they have identified cases associated with the network in Ireland. Members often use popular games like Roblox and Minecraft to make contact with other minors – targeting vulnerable children – then lure them over to platforms like Discord, Telegram and Twitch. Sometimes a child is tricked into sending compromising images, believing themselves to be friends or in a relationship with their tormentor, before they are coerced into committing sadistic acts of violence including self-mutilation on camera, against the threat of their initial images being shared. Forcing victims to cut words – including their tormentor’s name – into their flesh or write on walls with their blood are demands associated with the groups. Other times a youngster will willingly engage with the group and commit crimes or make illegal material simply to gain the respect of their peers. Mick Moran, a former veteran of An Garda Síochána’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Investigation Unit and now CEO of the Irish Internet Hotline, explained how it differs from other forms of ‘sexploitation’ – which usually sees the victim blackmailed into sending money or more child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Mick Moran, a former veteran of An Garda Síochána’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Investigation Unit and now CEO of the Irish Internet Hotline, explained how it differs from other forms of ‘sexploitation’ He told the Mail: ‘With the Com group, it’s “Go out and kill your neighbour’s cat and livestream it back into the group, or else we’re going to share this stuff with all your friends”. ‘It’s all about the most outrageous and the most taboo thing possible.  'So they’ll often be sharing CSAM, neo-Nazi stuff, animal torture.’ He continued: ‘What is stark about this is that parents have been constantly warned about not allowing their child to become a victim of sexual exploitation, of fraud, or whatever. ‘In these cases, the message to parents really is: don’t allow your child to become one of the perpetrators.  ‘Generally speaking, they will go after kids, because they are kids themselves, and so they’re in the same group spaces as the victims,’ he added. Asked about the motives of the abusers – aside from those who have been duped – Mr Moran said it is ‘for clout and in a lot of cases it’s for the laugh’. ‘It’s this whole gang mentality, and the person who is posting the most outrageous content into the group gets kudos.’ And he said a lot of what attracts minors to seek out these groups is ‘boredom’. ‘They’re kids that have had smartphones since they’re seven, eight years of age.   'They’ve had them in their bedrooms.  'They’re being exposed to the worst and most disgusting stuff all their lives.  'And now they’re 14 and they’re bored. ‘I know that sounds terrible, but that’s actually a factor.’ Others get sucked in through a macabre curiosity, ‘like watching a really bad horror movie’. ‘Then they fall into the trap of thinking they have a boyfriend in this lunatic, and the next thing you know they share a picture with them, and then the trap is sprung.’ A sense of power and dominance over the victims is often appealing to perpetrators, Mr Moran said. ‘You could have a group of four being the core group, and there’s probably a next layer then of eight or 10 young fellas, and each of those eight or 10 young fellas is trying to get in as part of the core group and he’s willing to do anything to get that. ‘They’ll get them to go out and kick the s*** out of a homeless man and video it live to get into the group, or they’ll go out and kill the neighbour’s cat and hang it across the door of the neighbour’s family home, or they’ll go out and beat a dog to death, or they’ll go and slash all the tires in the whole street.’ On the more extreme end of the spectrum, in 2024, a 14-year-old boy with alleged links to the 764 group stabbed an elderly man in a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden. Older men have also been arrested in the US in connection with the groups. The teenage founder of 764, Bradley Cadenhead, is currently serving 80 years in a US prison for crimes related to the network. A spokesperson for Tusla said: ‘We can confirm that we are aware of a number of cases across the country that are related to grooming by insidious online networks, often referred to as ‘The Com’ or 764. ‘The nature and severity of these referrals can differ, and may require a family or parenting support service, and/or a child protection response, depending on the circumstances present.  'Our priority in these cases is in providing a supportive response, and we work with children, young people and their families to this end. ‘We would urge parents and carers to remain vigilant. ‘Anyone concerned about a child but unsure whether they should report it to Tusla can contact us to informally discuss their concern. ‘This provides an opportunity to discuss the query in general and to decide whether a formal report of the concern to Tusla is appropriate at this stage. ‘If the concern is below the threshold for reporting, Tusla may be able to provide advice in terms of child supervision and other services that may be more suitable to meeting the needs of the child and/or family. ‘If there is an urgent concern you should call An Garda Síochána on 999/112.’ Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.