A federal judge on Tuesday denied a second appeal from Bradley Cadenhead, the founder of an online child exploitation network known as “764,” upholding his 80-year prison sentence in Texas.

Mark Pittman ruled that Cadenhead’s petition largely repeated arguments previously rejected at the state level, calling it “essentially a rehash” of claims dismissed in November 2023 as lacking legal or factual merit.

Cadenhead, 20, was sentenced in May 2023 in Erath County on child pornography charges. Court records state he created the Discord-based group “764” at age 15, naming it after digits from his Texas zip code. The FBI has described 764 and similar networks as extremist online communities that groom minors into producing exploitative material and engaging in self-harm.

According to court documents, individuals linked to the group have been accused or convicted of distributing child pornography and coercing minors into degrading and violent acts on camera.

In his appeals, Cadenhead argued that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by encouraging him to plead guilty without pursuing a psychological evaluation that might have supported a more lenient sentence. His attorneys contended that expert testimony about his upbringing and mental health could have influenced sentencing outcomes.

Prosecutors opposed any reduction in punishment. Erath County District Attorney M. Alan Nash previously urged that parole not be granted, citing the severity of material found in Cadenhead’s possession and warning that he posed a continued danger.

Court filings also reference another Discord group, “Greggy’s Cult,” which prosecutors say influenced Cadenhead’s tactics. A federal grand jury indicted alleged leaders of that network in December on child exploitation charges.

An attorney representing Cadenhead in the federal appeal did not respond to requests for comment. The ruling leaves his 80-year sentence in place.