‘Harm yourselves, behead your pets’: Chilling orders Malmesbury teen allegedly gave kids

In a shocking case from Malmesbury, South Africa, a 16-year-old boy has been accused of allegedly ordering young children, some as young as 11, to engage in a series of disturbing acts. The charges against him, laid out in a detailed document, allege he instructed them to perform sexual acts on themselves, torture and even decapitate their own pets, and record the acts for him.

This came after the FBI, the US Embassy in Pretoria, and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children alerted South African police to the teenager's involvement in a violent online network called the 764 network. The boy appeared in Malmesbury Magistrate's Court on Tuesday and remains in custody, set to return for further proceedings.

The 764 network is described as a group that targets children and vulnerable individuals, using grooming, threats, blackmail, and coercion to exploit them sexually, harm themselves, and cause harm to animals. The teenager allegedly worked from a well-equipped home setup, with multiple screens, gaming equipment, and communication devices.

He allegedly used popular platforms like Telegram, Discord, Snapchat, and Instagram to connect with the children, allegedly threatening violence and inciting them to participate in the criminal acts. The state has charged him with seven sexual offences, two cybercrime violations, and two animal cruelty charges, spanning a period from January of the current year to his arrest.

The charges span seven months and all allegedly took place in Malmesbury. The boy is said to have been home-schooled and had left high school in Malmesbury halfway through the 2024 academic year. He faces serious allegations, including compelled self-sexual assault, sexual exploitation of children, and animal cruelty, with a minimum sentence of life imprisonment for the most serious charges if convicted as an adult.