Quebec City man arrested for allegedly recruiting children for 764 terror group

RCMP say they have arrested a Quebec City man for allegedly participating in a terror group known for using online platforms to radicalize children into harming themselves and others.

Police announced the arrest of Jeffrey Roussel, 26, in a new release Wednesday. They say he published graphic, violent and highly disturbing content tied to the 764 network through the Telegram platform to recruit his victims, mainly teenagers. 

The federal government added 764 to its list of terror entities in December 2015, describing the group as a “decentralized transnational network of online nihilistic violent extremists.”

“Members routinely use various social media and gaming platforms, particularly those with young and marginalized user bases, to lure, groom, and extort youth to commit violent and sexual acts, including self-harm,” the federal government says.

Roussel appeared Wednesday morning at the Quebec City courthouse on charges of participating in an activity of a terrorist group, facilitating terrorist activity and committing an offence for a terrorist group.

RCMP Const. Marie-Pierre Gertin did not confirm what kind of content Roussel had uploaded, but said it’s common for 764 members to groom young people and encourage them to engage in serious violence.

“They want to glorify violence,” Gertin said. “The goal is really to create chaos in society, and they try to really desensitize youth.”

Once the 764 predators make contact with a victim on a popular online platform, they invite them into a private chat room that allows video calls, Gertin said. They then develop a relationship with the victim, groom them and coerce them into sexual and violent acts, often using blackmail and extortion.

Gertin said it’s difficult to say how many people have been arrested in connection with 764 in Canada as the charges can range from terrorist criminal acts to possession and creation of child sexual abuse material.

The FBI said Wednesday that it has seen an increase in predatory activity by online networks like 764 over the past few years. 

“Not all of these predators follow the same ideology, but they seek out young people,” said Alan Karr, FBI Milwaukee’s special agent in charge, in an open letter to parents, guardians and caregivers.

“Predators may be engaging in criminal activity for sexual gratification, social status, a sense of belonging or for a mix of other reasons.”

Mathieu Roussel, an RCMP senior intelligence analyst for national security with no connection to the man arrested, said the 764 network is decentralized and transnational. 

Because the group uses encrypted chats, he said, it can be hard to monitor its members. Police often rely on tips from parents or teachers of victims, or from cybercrime experts.

He said parents and teachers should keep an eye out for warnings signs that children are or are at risk of being targeted online, including if they are using encrypted platforms, or suddenly start to have a sudden interest in extreme ideologies, serial killers, school shooters and occult concepts. 

They should also watch out for children who may be harming themselves, who are isolated or who have unexplained injuries or bandages. Unexplained injuries to pets, and letters written in blood or something resembling blood are also warning signs, Roussel said. 

Matt Richardson, with the Canadian Open Source Intelligence Centre, has been monitoring the 764 network since 2023. 

In his research in online spaces involving members of 764, he said, he’s seen images of self-harm, initials and names of abusers carved into victims’ skin, animal abuse and even invitations to watch livestreamed suicide attempts.

“They enjoy the idea that they can groom and manipulate a victim into the ultimate act, like a suicide,” he said. “They enjoy the power of control.”

Richardson said predators in 764 and similar groups are motivated by “clout” or infamy within their online communities — the more sadistic and violent they are, the higher the status becomes.

He said he wasn’t surprised to find out someone was operating out of Quebec City as the network is widespread and involves people from all backgrounds. He adds that there must be dozens of networks like 764 operating.

Richardson said the best way to prevent children from becoming victims of groups like 746 is to teach them how to identify techniques — like excessive flattery — that predators use to groom them. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2026.