A Swedish teenager known as Chai has received a sentence of more than 10 years in prison for attempted murder, rape, and aggravated assault, all committed online. These crimes included targeting a teenage girl in Australia. The district court found that Chai, who was 15 to 17 when the offenses occurred, was part of online networks known for sadistic extortion, where young and vulnerable individuals are coerced into creating sexually explicit content or participating in violent acts. Chai was convicted of two counts of attempted murder against a young person in Germany, along with multiple sexual and violent offenses against the Australian victim. Jenny Östling, a senior public prosecutor at Sweden’s national unit against international and organized crime, stated that the court recognized the phenomenon of "nihilistic violent extremism" — a term used to describe groups like the Com, which are loosely connected online networks involved in cybercrime, extortion, and violence. She emphasized that the sentence was among the longest possible for someone of Chai’s age in Sweden. The court also ruled that individuals can be convicted of violent crimes even when they are committed remotely, such as through the internet. Crimes linked to these sadistic extortion networks, such as one known as "764," often span multiple countries, with cases reported in the U.S., the UK, Germany, and Australia. Victims are often young people, and the networks use the creation and exchange of explicit material as a way to gain status, control, and access to exclusive online spaces. Bjørn Ihler, founder of the security firm Revontulet, described these groups as composed of young people recruiting others of their age, calling it a "youth phenomenon." Chai’s case is part of a growing number of legal actions against young men involved in these networks. For example, an American named Kyle Spitze, 27, was sentenced in August to 77 years in prison — the longest federal sentence ever given to someone labeled a "nihilistic violent extremist" by the U.S. government. During Chai’s trial, a forensic psychiatric evaluation concluded he did not suffer from a serious mental disorder at the time of the offenses. His lawyer, Emily Tovedal, argued that the court may have made a mistake in convicting him on many of the charges. Authorities around the world have become more concerned about the online exploitation of young people, noting warning signs such as self-harm and social isolation. Östling expressed concern that these networks may continue to grow, but she also noted that increased awareness could help identify and address the issue. Support services are available in various countries, including Australia’s Beyond Blue, Lifeline, and MensLine, the UK’s Mind and Childline, and the U.S. Mental Health America hotline at 988.