Washington, October 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A 21-year-old man accused of leading an international online extremist network involved in the sexual exploitation of children has pleaded guilty in a US federal court, admitting his role in a conspiracy that targeted vulnerable minors across the United States and other countries.
Prasan Nepal, known online as “Trippy”, pleaded guilty on Thursday to conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child before US District Judge Reggie B. Walton in Washington, the US Justice Department said.
Nepal, a resident of High Point, North Carolina, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for March 5, 2027.
Federal prosecutors identified Nepal as a senior leader of 764, a violent extremist network that allegedly used encrypted messaging platforms to recruit members, exploit children and circulate abusive material. The network operated internationally and included a subgroup known as 764 Inferno.
Court documents state that Nepal and co-defendant Leonidas Varagiannis, who used the online name “War”, helped direct the group’s operations, recruitment and internal rules.
Between approximately 2021 and 2025, members allegedly used encrypted platforms to coordinate the exploitation of minors through threats, manipulation and extortion. Investigators identified at least eight victims across multiple jurisdictions, including children as young as 13.
Prosecutors said the network’s leaders enforced strict membership controls and encouraged participants to produce increasingly abusive material. Nepal allegedly joined the group in early 2021 and rose to a leadership position after another member was arrested in August that year. He remained in that role until his arrest in April 2025 as part of an international investigation.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the guilty plea as another step in efforts to dismantle the network, citing cooperation with state and local law enforcement agencies. Patel also said arrests linked to 764 had increased by nearly 500 per cent in the preceding year.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said Nepal had used his leadership position to coordinate the exploitation of children, while US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said the case illustrated how organised online networks could use coercion to target vulnerable minors.
Varagiannis is being held at Grevena Prison in northern Greece and is expected to face trial there on charges related to child sexual abuse material and participation in a criminal organisation.
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