Online sadist “Rabid” guilty of child exploitation, faces decades in prison

A member of the online group ‘764,’ a decentralized network that targets children and forces them to engage in self-harming and pornographic activity, has pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a child.

Richard Anthony Reyna Densmore, 47, of Kaleva, otherwise known online as “Rabid,” has admitted to sending Discord currency (Nitro) to a minor in exchange for lewd images of herself.

Densmore specifically wanted a picture of the child’s chest with his username “Rabid” written on it.

When the minor expressed concerns surrounding the request, Densmore contacted another Discord user who had an online relationship with the minor, requesting that they obtain the image he so desperately wanted.

The perpetrator persuaded the user to request this image by using the Discord currency Nitro. The user successfully obtained footage of the minor who had filmed herself naked with the word “Rabid” scrawled across her chest.

Evidence provided at the hearing in February 2024 found that Densmore operated online servers, including Sewer.

Sewer is a discord server where users can allegedly request and distribute child sexual abuse material, as reported by Wired.

This server is just one among many servers comprising the decentralized network known as 764. A network that targets and extorts young children into engaging in violent acts of self-harm and sexually explicit activities, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said.

Further evidence revealed Densmore’s heinous acts included the solicitation of child sexual abuse material alongside violent images and videos found on his devices.

These include images of individuals cutting symbols and names into their skin. After Densmore’s phones were seized, he continued to collect this kind of material, which included an image of a bloody “R” that potentially stands for “Rabid” carved into the victim’s skin.

The FBI released an announcement in September 2023 warning that 764 and other affiliated groups target marginalized, vulnerable children, often dealing with mental health problems.

Initiation for new members includes live streaming or uploading footage of minors engaging in self-harming behaviors, sexually explicit conduct, and other heinous activities. Existing group members then leverage this content to extort additional content from their victims.

Group members have also been known to send disturbing packages to children, which include razor blades and sex toys used to generate this kind of content.

“It’s frightening that individuals like Mr. Densmore seek access to our children through online platforms to exploit for gratification sexually,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan. “It is a priority of the FBI to prevent predators like Mr. Densmore from victimizing our most innocent and impressionable youth.”

Densmore could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years.