Alexis Chavez, 19, was an administrator of the “8884” network — part of the broader 764 ecosystem the FBI classifies as a Nihilistic Violent Extremist network. Federal prosecutors say members exploit minors on gaming platforms, chat apps, and social media, and are urging Texas parents to know exactly what these predators do
SAN ANTONIO — A 19-year-old San Antonio man has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for leading an online network that federal prosecutors say coerced minors — most of them young girls — into acts of self-mutilation, sexual exploitation, animal torture, and attempted suicide, all recorded on video to build the leader’s status within the group.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, Alexis Aldair Chavez, who used the online handles “Zack” and “Zack8884,” was sentenced Wednesday to 40 years in federal prison, lifetime supervised release, and ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution. Chavez pleaded guilty on December 19, 2025, to one count of racketeering, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. He was arrested on October 24, 2024.
According to the Justice Department, Chavez was an administrator and online leader of a network known as “8884” — a group prosecutors describe as part of the broader 764 ecosystem, an international online network the FBI classifies as a Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) network. According to prosecutors, these networks share what the government describes as goals oriented around social collapse, and their operational method is to identify vulnerable people — with particular emphasis on minors — and use grooming, extortion, and coercion to force them into acts of violence and self-harm.
How the network operates — and why every Texas parent should know
According to the FBI and federal prosecutors, 764 and its related networks recruit through the platforms most kids and teenagers use every single day: gaming platforms, chat rooms, messaging apps, social media, and live video services. Predators identify young people who show signs of isolation, loneliness, or emotional difficulty, and slowly draw them in through what looks at first like ordinary online friendship.
Once inside, prosecutors say, the victims are extorted, threatened, and coerced into producing what the network calls “content.” That content includes some of the most disturbing conduct federal prosecutors have documented in recent years: victims — many of them children under 18 — are forced to self-mutilate, cut and burn themselves, engage in sexual acts on camera, harm animals, attempt suicide, and attack siblings or others in their home. All of it is recorded and shared within the network as a form of internal currency. Group leaders like Chavez used the recordings to gain and maintain status.
In Chavez’s case, prosecutors charged that between late 2023 and early 2024, he and co-conspirators coerced multiple minor female victims into a series of acts. According to court documents cited by prosecutors, those acts included forced self-harm and burning, forced sexual acts on camera, coerced animal torture and killing, and an attempt to have a minor girl overdose on pills — an attempt that was recorded on video specifically for the network’s status economy. Prosecutors also charged that Chavez and a co-conspirator forced one minor victim to carve his online alias into her body.
The specific victims are not being identified here, and further detail on individual incidents is not being reproduced. The Justice Department’s public statement contains a fuller account for readers who wish to see it.
Federal officials urge parents to stay engaged in kids’ online lives
Alongside the sentencing, federal officials issued a direct call to parents across Texas and the country to know what their children are actually doing online — and to stop assuming that “chatting with friends” or “just playing games” is always what it appears to be.
“Parents need to know what their children are doing online and must stay engaged, ask difficult questions, and not fall into the trap of believing their child is ‘just playing games’ or ‘just talking with their friends,'” U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas said in a statement. “There is darkness present within many people in this world that want nothing more than to see the United States and western civilization fail. There is no limit to the actions these individuals will take to accomplish that goal, including torturing and abusing children. Regardless of one’s inherent motivations, our office and our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal levels investigate and prosecute these cases with absolute dedication because protecting our children is not just a priority; it is the priority.”
“These predators use social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, chat rooms, and video services to groom vulnerable children,” Special Agent in Charge Daniel Faith of the FBI San Antonio Field Office said in a statement. “Staying engaged in your child’s online life, maintaining open communication, recognizing the warning signs, and reporting suspicious online activity to law enforcement are critical to stopping these offenders. The FBI will use every lawful authority at our disposal to dismantle these criminal networks and hold offenders accountable because no child should ever become the next victim of these predators.”
“Chavez’s crimes reveal the ruthless exploitation and manipulation at the core of NVE groups,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a statement. “These organizations target children as part of their broader mission to spread terror. These groups ultimately seek nothing less than the destruction of our society. NSD will use every resource at its disposal to identify and prosecute 764-linked criminality and to protect the most innocent among us from these predators.”
“Nothing is more abhorrent than those who prey on children and other vulnerable members of our society and this defendant will pay a steep price for doing just that,” Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division said in a statement.
Warning signs Texas parents should watch for
Based on FBI guidance, parents concerned about their child’s online activity should watch for a range of warning signs. A child who has suddenly become secretive about who they’re talking to online. A child who has developed a new “friend” they refuse to identify. A child who has unexplained cuts, burns, or marks on their body. A child who has begun using unfamiliar terminology, avatars, or images tied to online extremist symbols. A child whose mood, appetite, or sleep has changed sharply, especially if the change coincides with new online relationships. A child who has been asked to move a conversation off a mainstream platform to an encrypted messaging app. A child who has been asked to keep something “secret” from parents or friends.
None of these on its own proves a child is being targeted. But taken together, they should prompt a serious conversation, and if warranted, a call to the FBI or local law enforcement.
The investigation and prosecution
The case was investigated by the FBI San Antonio Field Office with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Bill Harris of the Western District of Texas, along with Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. More information is available at justice.gov/psc.
Resources for parents and for reporting
The FBI has released public safety information for parents, caregivers, and teachers about the risks of 764-linked networks and warning signs to watch for. Both are available at fbi.gov.
If you suspect your child or another minor is being targeted, groomed, or exploited online:
Contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.
Contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTipline at 1-800-843-5678 to report online exploitation of a minor.
For emergencies, call 911.
