Richard Anthony Reyna Densmore, 47, from Kaleva, Michigan, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of a child. He entered a guilty plea to charges of child sexual exploitation, which were part of a larger indictment that included additional offenses related to child exploitation.
“Richard Densmore will spend the next 30 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a child and for his role in creating 764’s online networks that coerced children into recording themselves engaging in self-harm, sexually explicit acts, and violence” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “No child should have to experience this heinous abuse. The Justice Department will ensure that criminals engaged in this depraved conduct are held accountable in a court of law.”
Densmore is affiliated with a group known as 764, a network of violent extremists dedicated to normalizing the creation, distribution, and possession of child pornography and graphic content. Their aim is to desensitize and corrupt young individuals, potentially leading to future acts of violence. Members of 764 are notorious for systematically targeting, grooming, and extorting victims through various online social media platforms. They coerce victims into participating in and sharing disturbing media that includes self-harm, sexual acts, animal cruelty, random violence, suicide, and murder, all in an effort to incite chaos and disrupt societal norms.
“This defendant orchestrated a community to target children through online gaming sites and used extortion and blackmail to force his minor victims to record themselves committing acts of self-harm and violence,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “If you prey on children online, you can’t hide behind a keyboard. The FBI will use all our resources and authorities to arrest you and hold you accountable.”
Known by the alias “Rabid,” Densmore gained infamy within the 764 network by establishing online “Sewer” communities on Discord, where he lured children—often by infiltrating popular online gaming sites—into self-harm and explicit sexual activities. He increased the “Sewer” community’s membership by promoting livestreams featuring children engaging in self-mutilation (referred to as cutshows) and sexually explicit acts. Densmore used threats to manipulate victims, stating, “I have all your information. I own you. . . . You do what I say now kitten.” He possessed child pornography and gruesome images depicting “Rabid,” “Sewer,” and “764” carved into the skin of victims, often accompanied by razor blades and box cutters.
Densmore was involved in the sexual exploitation of minors. In October 2022, he attempted to convince a young girl, referred to as Jane Doe, to send him an explicit image featuring the word “Rabid” written on her bare skin. When she showed discomfort with his request, Densmore reached out to another user on Discord, offering him Nitro, a type of currency on the platform, to assist in obtaining a sexually explicit image of Jane Doe. Ultimately, his efforts paid off, and at the behest of the other user, Jane Doe sent both Densmore and the user a nude video of herself with “Rabid” inscribed on her chest.
The Justice Department and FBI urge parents and guardians to be vigilant about their children’s online interactions. They should be on the lookout for unexpected packages, as individuals involved in these abuse and extortion schemes may send children items like razor blades, sexual devices, gifts, and other materials intended for creating explicit online content. The FBI has also recommended several precautionary measures, including:
- Checking for new cuts, bruises, wounds, or scars in unusual patterns;
- Observing any sudden changes in behavior or appearance;
- Noticing if children are wearing long sleeves or pants in inappropriate situations;
- Monitoring online activities and discussing the dangers of sharing personal information and content; and
- Conducting regular online searches of family and children’s information to help identify and mitigate the spread of personal data on the internet.
If you have concerns about someone who may be self-harming or at risk of suicide, it is crucial to seek help from a healthcare professional or call 911 if there is an immediate danger.
“This case represents a new and depraved threat against our kids and our communities: violent online extremists who manipulate their minor victims to commit self-harm and create sexually explicit images,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten for the Western District of Michigan. “While we will always fight to hold criminals like Richard Densmore accountable, we want to prevent this crime as much as possible. Parents: please talk with your children about this threat; monitor their social media use; and let them know they can always come to you if they mess up.” .The FBI is actively investigating this case.
