Saps, FBI bust 16‑year‑old linked to violent online ‘764’ network
The teenager faces charges of accessing, possession, facilitation and downloading of child sexual abuse material.
A 16-year-old boy from Malmesbury, Western Cape, was arrested on Monday, 17 August 2026, in connection with alleged involvement in violent online networks associated with child sexual exploitation, animal mutilation, and organized crime. The South African Police Service (Saps), in collaboration with the FBI and other international agencies, carried out the arrest.
The teenager is facing charges of accessing, possessing, facilitating, and downloading child sexual abuse material. Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk of the Saps' National Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) Team explained that intelligence from the FBI, the US Embassy, and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) led to the operation.
These networks, known as "764," are international extremist groups that target minors for online sexual abuse, animal torture, and other criminal activity. The teenager was apprehended at his address in Malmesbury, during which explicit images and videos of child sexual abuse and animal mutilation were found on his electronic devices.
The devices will undergo detailed forensic examination to determine the full extent of the alleged offenses. A number of child victims have been identified so far. The suspect is set to appear before the Malmesbury Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 18 August 2026. Investigations into potential additional offenses, including fraud and money laundering, are ongoing.
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