WASHINGTON (WTVF) — A Tennessee man tied to the extremist group 764 was sentenced Wednesday to 77 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material and helping distribute videos depicting animal abuse.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the sentence for 27-year-old Kyle William Spitze of Friendsville is the longest federal prison sentence ever imposed on a member of what authorities describe as a nihilistic violent extremist group.
Spitze was also sentenced to lifetime supervised release. He will be required to register as a sex offender and comply with special sex offender conditions after his release, according to the DOJ.
Federal prosecutors said Spitze, who used several online aliases, was an original member of the extremist groups Harm Nation and 764 and served as an administrator of the Harm Nation network.
Authorities say the groups use social media platforms to target vulnerable people, including children, and distribute child sexual abuse material and graphic content. Members allegedly use threats, coercion and blackmail to pressure victims into sexual exploitation, self-harm, violence and other acts.
The FBI began investigating Harm Nation in December 2023 after receiving tips that members were distributing child sexual abuse material.
Investigators said Spitze operated a social media channel containing images and videos involving minor girls who had harmed themselves, along with images depicting animal mutilation.
A search of Spitze's cellphone in February 2024 uncovered similar material involving two minors, according to the DOJ. One victim later told the FBI that Spitze had threatened her into producing images that he could post online.
Prosecutors said Spitze admitted to investigators that he had a terrorist motive for committing the crimes.
Spitze pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child sexual exploitation material, one count of aiding the distribution of animal crushing videos and one count of possessing and accessing child sexual exploitation material with the intent to view it.
The FBI investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee with assistance from the Justice Department's National Security Division.
The DOJ says federal authorities continue to investigate 764 and similar networks that target minors and other vulnerable people online.
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