Norwegian police investigate violent online sect linked to teen knife attacks

Norwegian authorities are probing multiple cases tied to The Community (The Com), an extremist online sect that pressures vulnerable children into committing violent acts, Dagbladet reports. Three Norwegian boys have been charged in connection with the group, which the FBI and Europol have flagged as a global threat.

One of the suspects, a 14-year-old, admitted to two knife attacks in Hässelby, Sweden, in 2024 after direct contact with “Slain,” a Swedish leader in the 764 subgroup of The Com. In police interrogations, the teen described being coerced into the attacks, stating: “They kept saying ‘do it, do it,’ so I did. I felt like a predator.”

The case emerged after the U.S.-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) alerted Norwegian police via Kripos, Norway’s national criminal investigation service. Fredy Joaquin Salazar, head of Kripos’ child abuse unit, called the phenomenon “Pandora’s box”—once uncovered, investigations reveal extensive networks of abuse and violence.

“We’ve seen an explosive increase,” Salazar told Dagbladet, noting a jump from four to 51 reports of child sexual abuse linked to violent online groups between 2024 and 2025. “This is just what’s caught by filters. The violence is far greater, and it’s easily accessible.”

The Com operates under a nihilistic ideology centered on destruction, with subgroups like 764 and No Lives Matter (NLM) promoting self-harm, sexual abuse, and real-world violence. Kripos identifies three core pillars: – CyberCom: Hacking, doxxing, and swatting (false emergency calls to trigger police raids). – SextortionCom: Sexual abuse, exploitation, and coercion into self-harm or suicide. – OfflineCom: Physical crimes, from vandalism to knife attacks, as members escalate for status.

Subgroups vary in focus—764 emphasizes suicide and abuse, while Order of Nine Angels (O9A) leans toward far-right extremism—but all share The Com’s goal: “sowing chaos through manipulation and destruction,” Salazar said.

Police urge parents to monitor children’s use of encrypted apps like Signal and Telegram, as well as gaming platforms where recruitment occurs. Norway’s 2026 threat assessment warns of significant undetected activity, with 764—founded in 2021 by then-15-year-old Bradley Cadenhead—explicitly targeting teens in self-harm forums to “normalize grotesque material and erode morality.” Cadenhead was sentenced to 80 years in U.S. prison in 2023 for his role in the group.