Violent extremist groups are grooming, recruiting and radicalizing a growing number of children and teenagers across the Prairies, police and researchers say. They're using social media platforms and popular online video games to connect, coerce and extort victims to harm themselves, kill people and animals, or commit school shootings. 'It's to some real staggering degrees, where they are actually planning attacks,' said Const. Andrea Lefort, a terrorism and extremism specialist with the Winnipeg Police Service. She said the manipulation happening online is leading to a higher risk of real-world violence, with a growing number of cases being referred to a non-profit organization that helps kids who've been exploited. 'I am expecting these cases to increase,' Lefort said. 'I don't think we are at the pinnacle of them.' Michael King, deputy executive director of the Alberta-based Organization for the Prevention of Violence, said there has been 'an exponential' increase in cases referred to their psychosocial intervention program, Evolve, over the past three years. King named popular online video game platform Roblox, along with another game — Minecraft — and messaging apps Discord and Telegram, along with other social platforms, as online spaces where these groups are targeting kids. King, and police officers who specialize in counterterrorism, warn the victimization taking place online is leading to a higher risk of violence off-line. An extremist group has been linked to a Winnipeg terrorism-related case. What is M.K.Y.? Alleged leaders of child exploitation cult known as 764 arrested, charged 'These are a collection of communities that really kind of glorify and value some of the worst types of behaviour possible,' he said. Many are part of a virtual network known as the Community or the Com, King said. Some, including 764 and the Manic Murder Cult, or M.K.Y., have been added by the federal government to the Criminal Code list of terrorist entities . Another group has a fascination with school shootings. King said it's called the True Crime Community. 'So, they really kind of look up to and want to mimic other mass-casualty attackers, school shooters, people who engage in mass-casualty violence online,' he said. His group, which isn't affiliated with any law-enforcement agency, has one case worker located in Winnipeg and others across the Prairies. The Evolve program worked on two cases involving online extremism in 2024, four last year and 10 so far this year. King said cases can be referred to Evolve by schools, families, the courts and police. 'In many cases, it's been the RCMP that's kind of interdicted some type of crime going on,' he said. Violent online groups target kids to get them to harm themselves, others King said that could be discussions involving 'a plot to engage in a school shooting,' and 'maybe they're acquiring weapons.' He said when police get involved, 'they tell families that they can seek support with the Evolve program, and many families choose to do that.' Online extremism is an area of concern that's taking up a significant amount of resources within the RCMP's counterterrorism unit, known as the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team or INSET, Supt. Matt Johnson said. 'It crosses all boundaries. So, both geographic boundaries — this is an international problem, we are working with our partners around the world,' Johnson said. Fuente: CBC
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