764 Extremist Group Member Sentenced to 77 Years in Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material and Distribution of Animal Crushing Videos
A Tennessee man was sentenced to 77 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material, distributing animal crushing videos, and possessing CSAM, following a federal investigation into the extremist group 764.
Kyle William Spitze, 27, received a 77-year prison sentence for producing child sexual abuse material, abetting the distribution of animal crushing videos, and possessing CSAM. The sentencing follows a federal investigation into the extremist group 764, of which Spitze was a member. He was also ordered to lifetime supervised release and required to register as a sex offender. Federal authorities described the crimes as among the most severe, targeting vulnerable children under the guise of a violent ideology.
Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the government’s commitment to dismantling online predator networks, including nihilistic violent extremist groups like 764. The FBI reported a 500% increase in arrests of such offenders in the past year, attributing the surge to a renewed focus on identifying and prosecuting individuals involved in CSAM and extremist activities. Spitze’s case was pursued by the FBI’s Nashville Field Office and Knoxville Resident Agency, which worked to bring justice to victims and their families.
Spitze, known by aliases including “Crimhn” and “Criminal,” was identified as an administrator of the 764 network HarmNation. Investigators found that he hosted a social media channel distributing images and videos of self-harmed minors and animal mutilation, often marked with his monikers. A search of his cellphone in February 2024 revealed additional CSAM, including material involving two minor victims, one of whom admitted to being threatened into producing the content.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a DOJ initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. Spitze pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child sexual exploitation material, one count of abetting animal crushing videos, and one count of possessing CSAM with intent to view. The investigation highlighted the broader threat posed by NVE networks, which use social media to groom and extort vulnerable individuals, including minors, into acts of violence and self-harm.