A San Antonio man, Alexis Aldair Chavez, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role as a leader of the 764 splinter group, 8884. Chavez, who began associating with 764 as a child in 2022, was found guilty of sexually exploiting children and coercing them into self-harm and animal torture.
Background on 764 and its Offshoots
The 764 collective is a nihilistic network of thousands of people, typically between 11 and 25 years old, that seeks to foster social unrest by destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of children and other vulnerable populations. Chavez's group, 8884, is one of many offshoots affiliated with the Com, a sprawling network of violent extremist groups.
Chavez's Crimes and Arrest
Chavez, also known as 'Zack' and 'Zack8884,' attempted to coerce a girl to commit suicide and blackmailed another girl into self-mutilation, animal torture, and illicit content production in late 2023. He later worked with multiple co-conspirators and blackmailed some of his victims to coerce other girls to degrade themselves on camera and produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Chavez was arrested in October 2024 and has been detained without bail since then.
Chavez pleaded guilty to multiple crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children in December 2025 and faced up to 60 years in prison for racketeering, distribution, and possession of CSAM. The indictment filed against Chavez in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas details a series of horrifying crimes he committed with co-conspirators and some of his victims.
Reaction to the Sentence
John A. Eisenberg, assistant attorney general for national security, stated that 'Chavez's crimes reveal the ruthless exploitation and manipulation at the core of nihilistic violent extremist groups.' Eisenberg added that 'these organizations target children as part of their broader mission to spread terror.' Allison Nixon, chief research officer at Unit 221B, said that the sentence is appropriate, even if people understandably dislike imprisoning young people.
Nixon explained that 'in this space, a certain personality profile is highly predictive of who will risk a prison sentence like this: an obsession with maximizing harm.' She added that 'reoffending after release is a huge problem. All major global hacking incidents from the Com are done by serial reoffenders — all obsessed with harmfulness, some graduated from the 764 sextortion space.' Officials pressed on the importance of parents being aware of their children's online activities and staying engaged to prevent similar crimes.
Other 764 Members and Law Enforcement Efforts
Chavez joins other 764 members already serving long sentences for similar crimes. Bradley Chance Cadenhed, who founded 764 as a 15-year-old in 2021, was arrested later that year and sentenced to 80 years in prison in 2023. The FBI has been actively working to identify and prosecute 764-linked criminality, and officials say that handing down lifelong or lengthy prison sentences strikes the right balance between the rights of the offender and society.
Coult Markovsky, acting assistant director of the FBI's counterterrorism division, stated that 'nothing is more abhorrent than those who prey on children and other vulnerable members of our society.' Daniel Faith, special agent in charge of the FBI San Antonio field office, added that 'staying engaged in your child's online life, maintaining open communication, recognizing the warning signs, and reporting suspicious online activity to law enforcement are critical to stopping these offenders.'
- Alexis Aldair Chavez was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in the 764 splinter group.
- Chavez pleaded guilty to multiple crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.
- The 764 collective is a nihilistic network that seeks to foster social unrest through the corruption and exploitation of children and other vulnerable populations.
Chavez's sentencing follows a period of heightened law enforcement activity, which has netted arrests of multiple alleged 764 leaders and members. Officials say that true rehabilitation is the best outcome, but no one knows how to achieve it, and that handing down maximum sentences won't overflow jails.
Source: CyberScoop