A man from Baltimore, Maryland, has been charged with sexually exploiting children in connection with a sinister terrorist network, as court documents indicate. Eric Madison, born in 2005, allegedly used popular online platforms, like Roblox, to manipulate minors into performing disturbing acts on camera, echoing practices associated with a cult-like predator group known as 764, considered a global threat by the Department of Justice.
Despite being investigated three times while still a minor for serious offenses—including distributing child pornography and posting videos of animal abuse—Madison’s exploitative actions persisted, according to an affidavit released by the DOJ. It’s alarming, really. This case highlights the broader issues connected to 764 and similar predatory organizations that form online relationships with youths, coercing them into harmful behaviors or criminal acts.
Becca Spinks, who leads a research team focused on such networks, pointed out a troubling aspect of the justice system’s treatment of young offenders. “We can’t just wait for years until they’re deemed old enough to prosecute,” she mentioned, noting that during that time, more victims may suffer.
Madison is currently awaiting a detention hearing set for November 14 after being charged with several serious offenses, including sexual exploitation and cyberstalking. Interestingly, court documents don’t indicate whether he has legal representation at this point.
Interestingly, the DOJ affidavit reveals that he confessed to sending child pornography via Instagram back in June 2020. Authorities wrapped up that case after providing Madison and his mother with information about Maryland’s laws surrounding child pornography and appropriate internet behavior. There were also admissions from him in 2022 about soliciting explicit images from underage girls online. In a separate incident later that year, police allegedly discovered Madison posting a video of animal abuse and found child pornography on his phone, resulting in more charges, though the final outcome is unclear.
Spinks remarked on the bravado some young offenders exhibit due to perceived legal protections for minors, saying, “What their friends learn is that they can act this way and face little to no consequences.”
By 2025, the FBI had secured a search warrant for Madison’s online accounts, suspicious that he was continuing his predatory behavior. The DOJ noted that he went by various usernames, including “Leo,” while allegedly instructing minors to produce explicit material or harm themselves. He sometimes offered Robux, the digital currency from Roblox, to coerce compliance but also resorted to blackmail.
One chilling remark reportedly made to a victim was that he wanted her to “paint on the wall with your blood.” Some evidence reflected this disturbing mindset: there were drawings of women without faces, accompanied by the name “Leo” in red, along with ominous text such as “Horror House Leo Heil Satan.”
The DOJ has characterized Madison and his associates within the 764 network as “nihilistic violent extremists,” intent on undermining society by preying on vulnerable individuals. Their ideology often intertwines with troubling themes, promoting elements reminiscent of satanic and neo-Nazi imagery, highlighting the pervasive dangers these groups represent.
In Madison’s room, federal agents found various papers linked to the name “Leo,” including alarming slogans that further underline the severity of his activities.
