A new BBC podcast, Assume Nothing: Creation of a Teenage Satanist, reveals the terrifying world of online exploitation and manipulation targeting teenage girls.
Listeners are taken inside private chatrooms where vulnerable victims are groomed, humiliated, and coerced into acts of self-harm by groups of teenagers, often with disturbing glee.
The episodes lay bare how online predators operate in packs, using psychological pressure and blackmail to control their victims — a horror that many parents remain completely unaware of.
A Disturbing Snapshot of Chatroom Violence
One video highlighted in the podcast shows a girl being forced to cut her own ponytail at the command of a male teenager.
The boy’s voice, full of mockery and excitement, instructs: “Chop, chop, chop.”
The girl obeys, tears streaming down her face, before being forced to place the severed hair in her mouth.
The podcast makes clear that this is far from an isolated incident.
Other survivors recount being coerced into self-harm or even violence against pets, all captured on video for the amusement of others.
These moments are horrifying, but they represent a real and growing danger lurking in chatrooms and teenagers’ bedrooms.
The Rise of Group 764
The extremist online group behind much of this abuse is called 764.
Founded during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021 by a 15-year-old boy in Texas, the group now spans multiple countries and has been linked to murders and suicides.
Authorities describe 764 as a hybrid of child exploitation, violent extremism, and radicalization, blending neo-Nazi and Satanist ideology.
Its members communicate through encrypted platforms such as Telegram, Discord, and Wire, often grooming vulnerable teenage girls and coercing them through blackmail and peer pressure.
The Case of Cameron Finnigan
In the UK, 19-year-old Cameron Finnigan from Horsham, West Sussex, was jailed for six years in January 2025 for encouraging suicide, possessing a terrorism manual, and holding indecent images of a child.
Finnigan, a 764 member, attempted to livestream a victim taking her own life, boasting about his actions to the group.
Finnigan’s case highlighted the real-world consequences of these online networks.
He also possessed documents outlining violent attacks and filmed himself damaging vehicles, reflecting the group’s unpredictable and dangerous nature.
Families Shocked and Unprepared
BBC reporter Jo Palmer observed Finnigan’s trial at the Old Bailey and noticed the visible shock of his parents.
Like many parents of 764 members, they had no awareness of the extremity of his online activity.
Sarah, Finnigan’s mother, later agreed to speak to the BBC, describing her horror at discovering her son’s involvement.
She reflects on the way ordinary teenage behaviors — gaming and isolation during lockdown — masked a descent into manipulation and harm, leaving families blindsided.
Victims’ Stories Reveal Harrowing Impact
The podcast also shares testimony from victims’ families.
One mother, anonymized as Christina, recounts how her 14-year-old daughter, already vulnerable due to prior abuse, was groomed and manipulated by 764.
The girl was coerced into self-harm, providing compromising images, and even instructed to harm her cat.
Christina describes the terror of discovering her child covered in blood, faeces, and trauma, revealing how helpless and isolated parents can feel when confronting such hidden abuse.
Ultimately, her daughter found the courage to resist, but the psychological scars and evidence of exploitation remain.
How Online Extremism Targets Teens
The podcast explains why groups like 764 thrive: they operate in packs, creating peer pressure that makes manipulation more effective.
Vulnerable teens often comply because they believe the collective judgment of the group validates the abuse, making lone intervention or parental guidance almost impossible.
Authorities, including the FBI, Europol, and the UK’s National Crime Agency, now recognize groups like 764 as among the most severe online threats due to their combination of grooming, radicalization, and encouragement of self-harm.
A Warning for Parents and Guardians
Assume Nothing is a stark reminder to parents that online threats can lurk behind seemingly innocuous teenage behaviors.
Gaming, social media, and chat apps can conceal coercion, grooming, and violent peer pressure that may escalate quickly.
Sarah, Finnigan’s mother, emphasizes the importance of awareness: “I would like to do something to stop others sleepwalking into the hideous nightmare we did. We had no idea what was happening.”
Her words underline that vigilance and conversation about online safety are crucial.
Awareness is the First Line of Defense
The BBC podcast encourages listeners to understand the hidden dangers in online communities and emphasizes the need for support, education, and monitoring of vulnerable teens.
It highlights both the cruelty inflicted on victims and the complex factors that lead otherwise normal teenagers into extremist online networks.
For families, educators, and law enforcement, Assume Nothing serves as a chilling, necessary insight into the realities of modern online exploitation.
Podcast Available on BBC Sounds
Assume Nothing: Creation of a Teenage Satanist is now available to listen to on BBC Sounds, offering a detailed and deeply human perspective on the dark online world teenagers can be drawn into.