MACOMB COUNTY — An 18-year-old resident of Macomb Township has been federally charged with distributing child pornography and graphic animal torture videos. According to federal authorities, the suspect’s actions are linked to a violent extremist Discord community known as “764.”

Jolyan Raeed Zahrah is accused of having multiple Discord accounts and using them to distribute child pornography and animal torturing videos on various Discord servers.

Investigation unfolds through online tips and NCMEC reports

On Jan. 4, 2025, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) also reported that another user uploaded child pornography to Discord. The FBI said the account used in this Discord account shared the same IP address as the first Discord account that had been reported. That same address was tied to another Discord account sharing similar illicit content the next day.

FBI agents executed a search warrant on April 11 at Zahrah’s home, seizing his iPhone — logged into 13 Gmail accounts — and discovering evidence of extreme content, including animal crushing and child pornography videos.

Confession and admission of extremist ties

In a post-Miranda interview, Zahrah admitted managing multiple Discord usernames and served as an administrator on a server affiliated with “764”, a decentralized nihilistic network encouraging violent and harmful behavior against minors and society.

He disclosed seeing images of children aged 5–10 and discussed the network’s encouragement of self-harm and animal abuse to exert control.

Overwhelmingly graphic evidence and harrowing court proceedings

Court documents describe numerous chilling “animal crush” videos showing puppies, kittens, turtles, deer, rats, snakes and frogs being tortured — many shared by the suspect across Discord servers and chats.

During a June 18 detention hearing, prosecutors were visibly shaken by the graphic details, prompting the judge to take a brief recess. Defense argued Zahrah has newly diagnosed mental health issues and was recently held in a facility — claims prosecutors countered, noting mental health concerns only surfaced after the arrest.

The FBI said they searched through Zahrah’s Discord accounts and found that he had multiple videos of animals being tortured.

It’s alleged that the 18-year-old shared the videos to a variety of group chats and direct messages. In direct messages with one Discord user, Zahrah and the other user would allegedly join different Discord servers to “spam gore” and engage in “gorebombing.”

According to the FBI, gorebombing is when gore videos are repeatedly sent in rapid succession to expose as many users in the group as possible to the content.

The FBI said Zahrah stated in a chat, “I watched child porn and didn’t get hard to it so I’m not a paedophile [sic]. .. It’s legal for me to do that test since I’m also a minor. . . I got more pleasure kicking dogs.”

Extremist Network 764: A broader FBI priority

The “764” extremist network is actively under FBI scrutiny; as of May, it is tied to some 250 federal investigations. The DOJ describes it as a “tier-one terror investigative matter” involving satanic neo-Nazi tenets and manipulation of minors — often coercing them into self-harm or animal abuse via Discord and Telegram channels.

Prosecutors also referenced Zahrah’s alarming Google search history, which included queries about mass shootings, spree shootings, school shootings and “how to buy a gun in Michigan.”

Prosecutors said the only question Zahrah asked the FBI when he was arrested, “was anybody else from the group arrested?”

Community shock and ongoing court dates

Neighbors were alarmed when the FBI executed its raid, with one recalling agents breaking down the door. Many community members expressed fear, especially parents worried about the online radicalization of children.

Zahrah is currently held without bond and is scheduled to appear again in federal court on June 30 to face charges including distribution of animal crush videos, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

Why the case matters

• It highlights the increasing danger posed by violent extremist online networks targeting teens.

• It underlines the evolving tactics of law enforcement in tracking digital crimes via platforms like Discord and alerts from agencies like the NCMEC.

• The case brings urgent questions about mental health, security and the role of online communities in radicalizing youth.