ORLANDO — A 26-year-old Clermont man who belonged to the nihilistic violent extremist network known as 764 has pleaded guilty to four federal child exploitation charges after authorities say he extorted a minor girl into cutting herself and distributed child pornography produced by the group’s members.
Shawn Krishendat Premsook pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography in the Middle District of Florida. He faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each distribution offense, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each possession offense.
According to the government’s factual basis, Premsook was a member of 764 and other nihilistic violent extremist groups for approximately two years. During that time, he joined these groups in extorting minors to engage in self-harm. On multiple occasions, he caused a minor girl to cut herself and use her blood to write messages such as his online moniker. Premsook also collected and distributed gore and child pornography images and videos of children who had been victimized by 764 members.
The 764 network represents a growing domestic threat that federal prosecutors have targeted aggressively. “764 and related groups are NVEs who engage in criminal conduct within the United States and engage with other extremists abroad,” according to the Justice Department. The network’s accelerationist goals include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the United States government. “Members of 764 work in concert with one another towards a common purpose of destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, including minors.”
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan for the Middle District of Florida is prosecuting with assistance from Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section — an indication of the national security dimensions federal authorities attach to the 764 network.
Premsook’s sentencing has not yet been scheduled. Each distribution count alone carries a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison, and sentences on multiple counts can run consecutively.