Norwegian police investigate 45 cases linked to violent online sect

Norwegian authorities are actively investigating 45 cases tied to the extreme online sect known as 764, part of the broader The Com network, national broadcaster Dagbladet reports.

The National Criminal Investigation Service (Kripos) confirmed on June 5 that the number of open investigations had risen from 38 on May 21. Cases are distributed across eight of Norway’s twelve police districts: Oslo, Øst, Sør-Øst, Sør-Vest, Vest, Møre og Romsdal, Troms, and Finnmark.

In addition to the 45 active investigations, two cases are pending prosecution decisions. Five individuals have been identified as victims, while 15 are suspected of involvement. Of the suspects, ten are male and one is female, according to Kripos. Since the phenomenon emerged, 69 investigations have been launched across 21 case complexes, some involving the same individuals in multiple offenses.

Cases include allegations of producing and sharing sexual abuse material involving children, coercing self-harm, sexual violence, and other forms of severe exploitation. The average age of victims is 14.9 years, while suspects average 16.3 years. Twenty-nine cases have been closed without charges.

Oslo police are handling one of the two cases nearing prosecution, involving a male suspect charged with possession of sexualized images and videos of minors, online sexual abuse of a child under 16, coercion into self-harm, property destruction, and two counts of sexually offensive behavior.

Marte Heggli, head of prosecution in Oslo, emphasized the difficulty of uncovering such cases due to their occurrence in closed, inaccessible online forums. She noted that over half of similar cases reported in the U.S. in 2024 stemmed from tips by parents, underscoring the need for vigilance.

Other districts reported varying levels of involvement. Vest police confirmed ongoing investigations but declined to provide details. Sør-Vest police stated their two cases involved foreign nationals acting abroad, with Norwegian authorities cooperating with international counterparts as needed. Øst police, previously linked to three cases—including two male suspects and one female victim subjected to self-harm and sexual coercion—did not respond to requests for comment.

Finnmark police closed one investigation without charges, while Møre og Romsdal police concluded a case involving threats and coercion for personal information.