Erik Lee Madison, a 20-year-old from Halethorpe, Maryland, pled guilty on Mar. 25 to charges of sexual exploitation of a child and cyberstalking in federal court. The plea follows Madison's arrest in November 2025 and involves at least ten minor female victims.
According to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes, Madison was part of "764," described as a criminal organization comprised of Nihilistic Violent Extremists. Authorities say that from November 2024 through November 2025, Madison used the internet to create and distribute extreme content—including violence and child pornography—to extort and blackmail vulnerable teenagers both within the United States and abroad.
Court documents reveal that Madison coerced minor females into producing sexually explicit material, engaging in acts of self-harm such as cutting themselves with razors or inscribing words on their bodies, sometimes using their own blood to write signs bearing his monikers. He also encouraged these victims to harm animals during online interactions streamed directly to him.
The methods used by Madison included threats against victims and their families, promising to release sensitive images or videos if they did not comply with his demands. He also threatened actions such as “doxing” (releasing personal information) or “swatting” (calling emergency services under false pretenses) targeting both victims and family members.
Authorities report that "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." The group is said to conduct coordinated extortion schemes targeting teenagers.
Madison faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years up to thirty years in federal prison for sexual exploitation charges, along with up to ten years for cyberstalking. Sentencing is scheduled for June 16 at 11:30 a.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice since May 2006—to combat child sexual exploitation by coordinating resources across agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at justice.gov/psc.
Hayes commended law enforcement partners including the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Baltimore Field Office; Anne Arundel County Police Department; and Baltimore County Police Department for their work on this investigation.
