Richard Anthony Reyna Densmore, a 47-year-old resident of Kaleva, Michigan, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of a child. This sentencing follows his guilty plea to charges related to child exploitation.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated, "Richard Densmore will spend the next 30 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a child and for his role in creating 764’s online networks that coerced children into recording themselves engaging in self-harm, sexually explicit acts, and violence." He emphasized the Justice Department's commitment to holding such criminals accountable.
FBI Director Christopher Wray commented on the case: "This defendant orchestrated a community to target children through online gaming sites and used extortion and blackmail to force his minor victims to record themselves committing acts of self-harm and violence." He warned that those who prey on children online cannot hide behind their keyboards.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten for the Western District of Michigan highlighted the threat posed by violent online extremists like Densmore: "This case represents a new and depraved threat against our kids and our communities: violent online extremists who manipulate their minor victims to commit self-harm and create sexually explicit images."
Densmore was identified as a member of 764, an extremist network aiming to normalize harmful content among youth. Known as "Rabid," he gained notoriety within this group by establishing "Sewer" communities on Discord. These platforms were used to recruit children from gaming sites for activities involving self-mutilation and graphic sexual acts.
In one instance from October 2022, Densmore attempted unsuccessfully to persuade a minor girl referred to as Jane Doe to send him an explicit image with “Rabid” written on her chest. When she resisted, he collaborated with another Discord user using Nitro currency to obtain such an image from her.
The Justice Department urges parents and caregivers to monitor children's online activities closely. They recommend being vigilant about unexpected packages or changes in behavior that might indicate involvement with these abuse networks.
The FBI investigated this case while Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Townshend prosecuted it with support from Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, which aims at protecting children from online exploitation through coordinated efforts among various law enforcement agencies. More information can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
