German prosecutors have accused a 21-year-old man of severe sexual abuse, online manipulation, and exploitation of more than 30 children. Among the charges filed against him is the murder of a 13-year-old American boy, whose death was broadcast live online, reports Baltimore Chronicle citing The Guardian.
According to investigators, the man, known online under the alias “White Tiger,” allegedly operated within a virtual network of abusers referred to as “764.” In April, the group’s suspected leaders were arrested and charged in what the U.S. Department of Justice described as “one of the most horrific online child exploitation enterprises ever uncovered.”
Authorities believe the accused coerced the 13-year-old American victim into taking his own life during a live stream in 2022. The investigation found that his crimes were carried out between January 2021—when the suspect was just 16—and September 2023.
Hamburg prosecutors have filed 204 criminal charges against the man, including one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder as an indirect perpetrator. The suspect allegedly targeted vulnerable minors through online chats and gaming platforms, building trust before manipulating them into creating sexual content and videos involving self-harm.
Police arrested the man in June at his parents’ home. By that time, authorities had identified eight victims aged between 11 and 15 from Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.
As reported by Spiegel, the young man—who had briefly studied medicine at a private university—has denied all allegations. He is currently being held at a juvenile detention center on the island of Hahnöfersand, near Hamburg.
The case has raised serious questions about whether German authorities could have intervened earlier to prevent some of the crimes. According to the German newspaper Zeit, the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) had already alerted German law enforcement back in 2021 about a possible offender based in Hamburg using the nickname “White Tiger.”
The NCMEC reportedly submitted a 40-page report containing chat transcripts from the Discord platform, where “White Tiger” allegedly pressured two young girls to send explicit photos, urged them to self-harm, and even suggested suicide.
Despite that warning, the suspect was only questioned at the time and not detained. Following his arrest this summer, investigators found illegal weapons — including knives, brass knuckles, and a baton — as well as computers and hard drives, which are still being analyzed.
Hamburg prosecutors have announced that the trial will be held behind closed doors due to the sensitivity of the case and the age of the victims.
Earlier we wrote that russian hackers had access to U.S. court’s secret documents for years.
