Penhold teen victimized by violent online extremist groups

The group isolated the young girl from her family and convinced her that if she disobeyed, she would be harmed.

“Lynn” first started noticing behavioural changes in her daughter, such as mood swings, appearing to be more agitated, and locking herself in her room. Her daughter had spent a lot of time online but had no idea who the teenager had been interacting with.

However, approximately a year ago, “Lynn” discovered her daughter’s online activity had reached terrifying heights.

Not only had she found that her daughter had been interacting with these extremist groups, but she carved the names of the perpetrators into her legs and had written the names on her bedroom walls in blood.

Her mother does not know how long she had been groomed, and explained her daughter’s behaviour online had gone under the radar for some time.

“A lot of these groups will ask you to do something to show your commitment. Once they get you to do that, they want picture proof of you doing this thing,” said “Lynn”. “Then it turns into, if you don’t do this, there will be consequences.”

“Lynn” explained that her daughter has struggled with her mental health since she was eight-years-old, but never imagined she would get wrapped up in something like this.

At one point, she took her daughter’s phone away only to discover she was interacting online with the groups at school.

She reported the incident to the police a year ago, but said no charges have been laid yet. The RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams, she said, are investigating.

“This isn’t the first or the last kid that’s going to be affected by these extremist groups. They’re popping up everywhere,” she said.

“In my daughter’s case, she fully believes that the people in these extremist groups love her, and she’s willing to do everything and anything that they ask.”

For example, the teen took part in an activity the mother says is called “bed rotting,” where the victim is made to stay online and is not allowed to get up to use the washroom or leave her bedroom for hours. As a result, her daughter would urinate in bed.

Seeking help

“Lynn” said she’s sought help for her daughter from MLAs, written letters to Premier Danielle Smith, and interacted with the provincial healthcare system, but explained it’s fallen on deaf ears.

She explained her daughter has been involuntarily placed in mental health systems in the province as a result of the manipulation by the extremist groups.

She loves her daughter but is fearful for her family’s safety as her daughter has threatened to hurt her and has acted erratically at times. She’s even had to separate her younger children from her daughter.

Although she couldn’t state what specific legislation, her daughter is only permitted to stay in these facilities for up to 47 days. Once time is up, she’s moved to another facility.

“Lynn” is concerned that the constant movement has reversed any progress the teenager makes by the time she moves on.

In the last eight months, her daughter has been to five different facilities and was even returned home for some time before being admitted again.

“A lot of what I want known is that they don’t have any help for these kids. Our mental health system for our children is on such a basis that nobody knows what to do,” she said.

“Lynn” said once her daughter began to open up or make any progress, it’s usually close to the time when she needs to be moved again.

In some cases, she claims facilities have denied her daughter because of her complex needs. She called the system broken.

“It’s not in her best interest to be constantly moved around, but they are going to continue to do it because there’s really no consistent program to help these kids that really need therapy to cope,” she said. “Unfortunately, the mental health system has not been helpful.”

In a statement from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction, they explained that they cannot comment on individual cases.

Meanwhile, Korey Cherneski with Recovery Alberta communications said in an emailed statement, they also cannot comment on individual cases, but added they understand that transitions between programs can feel disruptive, especially when a young person is making progress.

“Recovery Alberta’s approach is built on a recovery-oriented continuum of care, where each step, whether short-term stabilization or longer-term treatment, is designed to build on previous progress, not undo it,” he wrote. “Transitions are made to ensure the patient receives the right support at the right time, based on their evolving needs and recovery goals.”

Recovery Alberta offers a range of programs built to address the needs of youth and adults, each with different durations and purposes.

He said these timeframes are not limits on care, but part of a continuum of services designed to match the patient’s evolving needs. As a result, these transitions between programs, whether for youth or adults, are made to ensure the individual receives the most appropriate support at each stage of their recovery journey.

“Recovery Alberta offers dedicated addictions and mental health services for children, youth and adults, including resources for caregivers,” he added. “These services are designed to support young people through to adulthood who may have complex challenges, including trauma and mental health conditions.”

What 764 and other online extremist groups are capable of

In a statement from the RCMP’s Federal Policing Northwest Region, communications officer Christina Zoernig said they could not confirm or deny who may be the subject of an investigation.

She explained that this is done to protect the integrity of an investigation, any evidence obtained, and the privacy of those involved.

Superintendent Adrian Marsden, Officer in Charge of the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) for the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region, investigates national security focused on terrorism offences.

That usually includes three groups: politically motivated violent extremism, religiously motivated violent extremism, and ideologically motivated violent extremism.

He explained that groups like 764 and Kaskar are under the umbrella of The Com, who fall under the category of ideologically motivated violent extremism.

“Groups like these have surfaced over the last five years or so, but they’re now at the point where they are fairly common,” he said. “These are starting to surface more and more, but I do think there’s definitely more work to be done in terms of educating the public.”

He said these groups are made up of people who tend to support misanthropy and nihilism. They talk about destroying civilized society and do that by creating violence and chaos.

They surf the internet in hopes of finding vulnerable individuals, typically youth. Marsden said he’s seen instances with children as young as 10-years-old, and a lot of the perpetrators are usually teenagers. The victims usually don’t have enough life experience to recognize what’s happening.

They enter online environments where they can find vulnerable people, such as chat rooms, online games, and social media.

These people will befriend children in an effort to gain their trust and then try to put them in a compromising situation, such as getting them to send a sexually explicit photo or admit something they’re embarrassed about. They will then blackmail them with a threat to expose what they’ve already provided.

Once they’re roped into this, they get the victims to provide further sexual photographs, cut themselves, and even harm pets on video.

“This has become a relatively global phenomenon,” he said, adding it’s still so new that they’re educating their own officers on it.

764, for example, started in Texas by Bradley Cadenhead, who has since been charged and sentenced to prison in 2023.

They were the first group that committed these types of acts online and have since branched off into others.

Marsden said it’s important for parents to understand the dangers of the internet and to have open lines of communication with their children.

Kids who are trapped in these types of situations, their moods change because they’ll be embarrassed by what’s happening and won’t want to talk to authority figures. In turn, that will change their behaviour, such as signs of depression and a lack of openness on certain things.

“We wouldn’t let our kids walk the streets at 3 a.m., yet you’ll possibly let your kids on the internet,” he added.

“It’s important for parents to convince their children that it’s ok to admit to wrongdoing and that if they have done something wrong, they shouldn’t be embarrassed about it. They should always know they can come to their parents or a person they trust.”

by Ian Gustafson

Penhold teen victimized by violent online extremist groups

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