Washington parents sue Discord, saying it let a cult kill their son
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The parents of a 13-year-old Gig Harbor boy who took his own life on a livestreamed video have sued the social media giant Discord, alleging that the platform enabled a network of sadistic members who coerced their son into his death.
Colby and Leslie Taylor, the parents of Jay Taylor, filed the lawsuit Thursday in Pierce County Superior Court. Jay died on Jan. 17, 2022.
“Law enforcement investigated Jay’s death. Aided by a key witness, law enforcement made the shocking discovery that a Discord community had coerced Jay into hanging himself on livestream,” the complaint said. “The video was then replicated and reposted across Discord where it remained as marketing material for the 764 Network.”
Jay was targeted by an extremist group on Discord known as “The 764 Network,” which glorifies violence, employs blackmail and aims to coerce victims into extreme abuse that includes self-harm, sexual abuse, animal mutilation, extortion and suicide, according to the complaint.
“The organization was not merely created and operated on Discord; it thrived there, taking full advantage of the environment designed to shield predators and dangle their prey before them through channels and chats shrouded in privacy and sham safeguards,” the suit said.
Disrupting the 764 network and affiliated groups has been among the social media platform’s highest priorities, according to Discord, a platform particularly popular with video gamers. The company said it has proactively worked with law enforcement since 2021, leading to leaders and members of 764 being apprehended; employs highly skilled teams to detect and act on wrongdoing; and has removed thousands of servers and banned hundreds of thousands of users.
Read more https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2026/02/washington-parents-sue-discord-saying-it-let-a-cult-kill-their-son.html?outputType=amp
Content retrieved from: https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2026/02/washington-parents-sue-discord-saying-it-let-a-cult-kill-their-son.html?outputType=amp.
