It should come as a surprise to no one, at least anyone with a modicum of common sense, that one of the FBI’s top priorities is disrupting child trafficking networks—vigorously investigating, and aggressively arresting anyone involved in the horrific practice of exploiting children. Yet, from some incredibly ill-informed, or ill-intentioned, so-called law enforcement subject matter experts (SMEs), the notion of the FBI prioritizing child trafficking, in whatever form, comes as a surprise. Their credibility on any matter regarding the FBI or law enforcement generally should now be in ashes.
Last week, Deputy Director Dan Bongino stated unequivocally in an X post that child trafficking and exploitation is a top priority of the FBI, specifically, those engaged in crimes perpetrated by notorious “764” networks. “The Director and I are passionate about defending the vulnerable. Operation “Restoring Justice” began this week, and the FBI put handcuffs on child sex offenders and 764 subjects in nearly every corner of the country. Your keyboards and your false online personas will NOT protect you if you target our children. We will hunt you down. We will find you.”
The term "764" refers to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) offense code 764, which designates "Commercial Sex Acts—Involuntary Servitude (Under 18 Years)". In plain terms, this code is used by the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies to track minor victims of sex trafficking, specifically those who are coerced, forced, or manipulated into commercial sex acts.
This code falls under the broader category of human trafficking offenses as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and tracked in FBI and DOJ databases. Code 764 helps federal agencies separate child sex trafficking cases from other forms of trafficking (e.g., labor trafficking or adult sex trafficking), ensuring a more focused approach to this particularly heinous crime.
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In some of the darker corners of criminal investigation and survivor testimony, a disturbing pattern emerges — infernal in aspect: the use of occult or ritualistic abuse in tandem with trafficking. There have been credible, documented cases—alongside hundreds of survivor accounts—where occult practices were deliberately used to control, coerce, and silence victims. These intersections are often ignored, dismissed, or even ridiculed, leaving a dangerous blind spot in law enforcement’s response to organized child exploitation. Through, FBI PSAs, the Director, and Deputy Director’s recent comments on X, the FBI is providing much needed focus and legitimization of the occult influence.
In some verified investigations, law enforcement has uncovered trafficking rings that included clearly ritualistic or pseudo-religious elements. These are often labeled “ritual abuse” or “satanic ritual abuse” (SRA). In these cases, abusers used symbols, robes, chanting, blood rituals, group ceremonies, or spiritual language to deepen psychological trauma and reinforce control. However, the motivation behind these rituals is rarely genuine spiritual belief. Rather, they serve as tools of psychological domination, designed to paralyze the victim with fear, degrade their sense of self, and prevent disclosure. Children are often told they are spiritually “unclean” or damned, or that supernatural entities will harm them or their families if they speak out.
Survivors consistently describe these rituals not as random acts of depravity, but as methodical and ceremonial abuse, designed to break down the will of the child. Anneke Lucas, a survivor of elite child sex trafficking networks in Belgium during the notorious Dutroux era, testified in 2016 that “The abuse wasn’t random. It was ceremonial. They used rituals to create fear and obedience. They convinced me I had no soul, that I was nothing. That’s how they kept control over us.” Now an advocate and founder of the Unconditional Model, Lucas has helped bring international attention to the ways ritualized abuse functions as a control mechanism within trafficking operations.
A second survivor, known by the pseudonym “Theresa,” gave testimony in 2005 collected by Dr. Ellen Lacter, a clinical psychologist who has worked extensively with ritual abuse survivors. Her account echoes the same theme of weaponized spirituality: “They told me if I ever told anyone, demons would eat my soul. They dressed like priests and used a black altar. I was six. I believed them.” The power of such manipulation lies in its psychological terror—especially in the mind of a child.
Someone at the forefront of the 764 child trafficking issue, and it’s permutations into the world of the Occult, is Becca Spinx. A highly accredited private investigator with a degree in biology from The University of Texas at San Antonio, Spinx maintains a career in the medical field while juggling the responsibilities of motherhood. Through her dogged reporting, she’s become a beacon to victims of 764 networks. She’s been a contributor to BBC and CBC stories such as the Fifth Estate, the CBC’s deep dive into occult 764 networks.
When asked what parents can do to keep their kids out of harm's way, Spinx told Townhall, “Your kids aren’t safe on the internet. There’s no difference between sending your kid into an unsupervised chat room online, and sending them into the middle of…a busy downtown area. Have candid talks with your children about grooming and sextortion…at a certain age level. Have very strict moderation, control, and oversight about what your kids do online. Finally…have an open line of communication. Let them know they come to you first, and they won’t be judged or punished.”
Finally, the use of occult elements in these trafficking networks is not about religion—it’s about control. Traffickers invoke the imagery and language of the occult not because they believe in it, but because it works. It creates a mythology of inescapability. Victims—especially young ones—internalize the belief that the abuse is part of a higher, more terrifying order they cannot escape or even comprehend. In essence, the occult becomes an instrument of total psychological captivity. And yet, because of its strangeness, this aspect of trafficking is often the least believed—even when survivors present consistent, overlapping details across unrelated cases and geographies.
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