Violent Extremist Network “764” Member Facing Federal Indictment for Sexual Exploitation, Coercion and Enticement of Minors, Cyberstalking

Baltimore, Maryland – Today, a federal grand jury returned an indictment, charging Erik Lee Madison, 20, of Halethorpe, Maryland, with three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, three counts of coercion and enticement of a child, and one count of cyberstalking. Law enforcement arrested Madison pursuant to a criminal complaint on November 6, 2025. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Chief Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police Department (AACOPD); and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).

According to the indictment, and the affidavit filed in support of the previous criminal complaint, Madison was a member and associate of “764,” a criminal organization of Nihilistic Violent Extremists.  Members of “764” use known online social media communications platforms as mediums to support the possession, production, and sharing of extreme gore media and child sex abuse material with vulnerable, juvenile populations. These individuals often conduct coordinated extortions of teenagers, blackmailing the victims to comply with the group’s demands.  The indictment alleges that between November 2024 and September 2025, Madison persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced three minor females to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Madison illegally interacted the minors to produce and transmit a visual depiction of the sexually explicit conduct and to engage in prohibited sexual conduct.  Additionally, the indictment alleges Madison committed cyberstalking against one of the minor victims.

If convicted, Madison faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of the three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment for each of the three counts of coercion and enticement of a child, and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for cyberstalking.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Erin Aslan previously ordered Madison to be detained pending trial.  

An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.

The Justice Department remains vigilant against the threat of Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) networks, like 764, that operate within the United States and around the globe. NVEs often target vulnerable individuals, including minors, using social media platforms to share child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and gore material, and groom victims toward committing acts of violence. Victims are often extorted, coerced, compelled, and blackmailed into complying with NVE demands, including self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder. For more information on how to protect children and others, read about the online risks here: Parents, Caregivers, Teachers — FBI and the FBI’s March 2025 public service announcement.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, AACOPD, and the BCPD for their work in the investigation. 

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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