German authorities have arrested a 20-year-old man suspected of a disturbing online campaign of child abuse, which included allegedly coercing a 13-year-old American boy to kill himself on livestream.
The German-Iranian national was taken into custody on Tuesday at his parents’ apartment in Hamburg. He faces suspicion of engaging in an online campaign of cybergrooming and virtual sexual abuse of children. His name has not been released in line with German privacy regulations.
Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to bring formal charges. He denied wrongdoing in a closed-doors appearance before a judge, authorities said.
“The acts exceed human imagination,” Hamburg Attorney General Jörg Fröhlich said at a news conference Wednesday, German news agency dpa reported.
The man is accused of perpetrating a complex international cybergrooming operation as a member of “764,” which the FBI describes as a violent online network that exploits minors virtually to coerce them into acts of self-harm and sexual abuse.
The man is suspected of committing 120 crimes against eight victims, ages 11 to 15, who were from Germany, England, Canada and the U.S. Another of the victims, a 14-year-old Canadian girl, attempted to take her own life. Authorities have not released the names of any of the alleged victims.
In the case of the 13-year-old American boy, German police and prosecutors said the suspect used another underaged victim to pressure the teen.
The violations occurred over the internet between 2021, when the suspect was 16 years old, and 2023, police said.
Through his online pseudonym, “White Tiger," he preyed on desperate children in online forums, including those discussing suicide, dpa reported. Investigators believe he exploited their vulnerabilities, forcing them to create pornographic and violent recordings.
“These are depths that are difficult to bear,” Hamburg police chief Falk Schnabel said during the news conference.
The man made recordings of the acts to keep as trophies, investigators said, and used them as leverage against the victims by threatening to publish them unless the children committed even more self-harm on camera.
Police said Wednesday they want publicity about the case to help prevent future online abuse.
“We hope that word of the arrest will spread within the community and that this will act as an internal deterrent,” Fröhlich said.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you
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