A youth is facing several child pornography charges that involve a violent, online extremist group, according to police.

In May, the RCMP and the Halifax Regional Police started investigating a youth who was an active member of an online group called 764, a subgroup of the Com Network.

Police say they often target children, youth and vulnerable and manipulate them into sharing intimate images or violence against themselves and others.

Predators will also use the videos the blackmail the victims.

Halifax Police Chief Don MacLean, along with RCMP, will host a news conference on the case this afternoon.

They say no local victims have been identified, but the group operates internationally through social media and gaming apps.

“There could be local children and/or youth being targeted by other predators,” police say.

Police say parents should talk to their children about online safety and privacy, and they offer some tips, including:

• If your child plays video games and uses chat features, put controls on who they can talk to. Check in to see who they are talking to and what kinds of conversations they are having.
• They say you should encourage youth not use headphones when they play games and to get them to play in a shared family area so parents can monitor what they are doing online.
• Remind children not to share any personal details about their name, school, address photos or videos on social media or gaming apps.
• Be aware of who your children are talking to and take note of if they start to become more private or withdrawn. Also, encourage them to talk to a trusted adult if someone makes them feel uncomfortable or pressures them to do something.

Police say anyone with information about online extremist groups should call police.