Alleged 764 leader arrested in Arizona, faces life in prison

Baron Cain Martin, a 21-year-old, allegedly joined the nihilistic violent extremist group in 2019. Officials described his alleged crimes as “atrocious” and “so depraved they defy comprehension.”

Federal law enforcement said a leader of 764, a violent extremist group, has been in federal custody since he was arrested in December and faces 29 charges for running a loose-knit collective involved in child exploitation, cyberstalking, kidnapping, animal torture, wire fraud and murder.

Baron Cain Martin, 21, of Tucson, Arizona, allegedly joined the child sextortion ring as early as 2019, eventually acting as a leader until his arrest late last year, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.

Martin is charged with providing material support to terrorists, producing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), coercing minors to engage in sexual activity, cyberstalking, animal crushing and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces up to life in prison, many times over.

“This man’s alleged crimes are unthinkably depraved and reflect the horrific danger of 764 — if convicted, he will face severe consequences as we work to dismantle this evil network,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “I urge parents to remain vigilant about the threats their children face online.”

Martin’s arrest and indictment comes amid a flurry of law enforcement activity targeting 764 and its alleged members.

Federal authorities announced Martin’s arrest and unsealed charges filed against him shortly after another alleged 764 member, Tony Christopher Long, a 19-year-old California man, pleaded not guilty to multiple charges carrying a maximum penalty up to 69 years in prison related to his alleged involvement in the nihilistic violent extremist group.

Two alleged leaders of 764 were arrested and charged for directing and distributing CSAM in April. The two men, Leonidas Varagiannis and Prasan Nepal, are accused of exploiting at least eight minor victims, some as young as 13 years old, and face charges that carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.

“Law enforcement is dogpiling these people and I think that’s great,” Allison Nixon, chief research officer at Unit221B, told CyberScoop.

“They don’t stop until they are physically ripped off the computer,” she said. “The enormous amount of charges isn’t surprising.”

764 is an offshoot of The Com, a global collective of loosely associated groups spanning thousands of people, typically between 11 and 25 years old, that commit financially motivated, sexual and violent crimes. The FBI previously said members of 764 and related groups are driven by a range of personal motives, including notoriety, sexual gratification or a sense of belonging. 

“[Martin’s] actions as a leader of this criminal network were so atrocious and extreme that he is charged with supporting terrorism,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. “It’s alleged that Martin not only committed these crimes but wrote and posted a guide for others to use to identify, groom, and extort their own victims.”

Nixon, who has tracked the rise of English-speaking cybercrime for more than a decade, said she found the grooming guide Martin allegedly produced and distributed online. The guide included details about how to identify, groom and extort vulnerable children and advised readers to target victims struggling with mental health, officials said.

Other federal law enforcement officials described Martin’s alleged crimes as “so depraved they defy comprehension,” “an assault on the basic foundations of human decency,” and “promoting some of the sickest forms of human depravity.”

Martin, also known by the online moniker “Convict” among many others, allegedly provided assistance as personnel, service and expert advice to carry out a conspiracy to kill or main a person in a foreign country, according to authorities. He is also accused of conspiring with others to coerce a victim living outside the United States to self-harm, self-main and self-kill, officials said. 

“He was respected in these communities because of his acts and was influential,” Nixon said. “I would agree he was a leader, and his friends will be reading his court documents with admiration.”

Martin is charged with five counts of producing CSAM, 11 counts of distributing CSAM and three counts of coercing minors to engage in sexual activity. He is accused of victimizing at least nine victims, eight of which were between the ages of 11 and 15 years old at the time.

“The FBI will not stop until we find those who perpetrate these horrific crimes that prey on the most vulnerable members of our communities,” Patel said.

You can read the full indictment below.

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