From failing Grade 8 to an FBI bust: Malmesbury teen's troubled path to '764' charges
A psychometrist’s August 2024 report on a teen arrested on abuse charges recommended he be tested for autism, repeat Grade 8 and be taught in English rather than Afrikaans.
A troubled teenager from Malmesbury, South Africa, has been arrested by the FBI in a raid on an upscale golf estate. The 16-year-old is charged with 11 offenses related to the violent online network 764, which targets children, coerces them into sending explicit images, and encourages acts of self-harm and animal cruelty. The arrested teen, whose identity is protected by law, has been homeschooled multiple times due to academic struggles and a reluctance to attend school.
He once felt confident in Grade 4 but has since faced challenges in keeping up with the curriculum and attending classes. The FBI's operation was prompted by intelligence from the US embassy and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, indicating that the teen was involved in violent online networks. His academic record shows a decline in key subjects, and he performed poorly in writing exams during his third term.
The teen's mental health issues, including anxiety, forgetfulness, and distractibility, have also been documented.
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