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A German citizen with an Iranian migration background was arrested last month for leading an alleged cyber-sadist gang while operating under the username “White Tiger.” Now, other parents are coming forward stating they feared their children were also victims of the 20-year-old.
The suspect was arrested at his parents’ home in Hamburg in June and was charged with murder and various other serious crimes while leading a group of cybercriminals. Based on sexual motivations, the group forced eight children between the ages of 11 and 15 to self-harm, and in some cases, even commit suicide online.
Investigators state the victims are from the United States, Germany, Canada, and England. Two victims are from Hamburg and one in Lower Saxony, according Welt newspaper.
The cyber sadist group, an international group known as “764” reportedly has other members, but prosecutors say there is no evidence anyone else from the group is operating out of Hamburg.
A 13-year-old American reportedly committed suicide because of the group, while the 14-year-old victim from Canada attempted suicide, according to the Hamburg Public Prosecutor’s Office
The case has been met with shock in Germany, and highlights the growing threats young children and teens face online, where sadists and sexual abusers operate with little oversight.
Now, other parents are coming forward, although details remain murky about how many children may have been targeted.
“We can confirm that parents have reported the incident as a result of the arrest,” said Senior Public Prosecutor Mia Sperling-Karstens. Investigations are ongoing.
The German-Iranian has been charged with murder, attempted murder, previous bodily harm, sexual abuse of children, and possession of child pornography.
It is unclear from media reports how the gang operated, but often cybersadists preying on children use blackmail and intimidation to convince children to get nude or perform other sexual acts on the web. Once these criminals record video of the act, they then tell their victims they plan to spread the material to friends and family members if they do not perform more depraved acts. In some cases, they can also threaten to release the videos if the victim does not harm themselves, driving the young victims into a psychological state that can quickly push them towards suicide.
The 20-year-old suspect studied medicine at a private university for a certain period of time, but reportedly stopped his studies. He denies being the leader of the ring of pedophiles.
He is currently incarcerated at the youth prison on Elbe Island of Hahnöfersand, which is located in Lower Saxony.
Investigators are still going through evidence seized during the arrest.
“This includes the evaluation of seized evidence and the examination of the accused,” said Sperling-Karstens.
Since the suspect is a German citizen, all of these criminal acts will simply be recorded as a “German” suspect, including murder and sexual offense charges. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party argues that the migration background of suspects must be recorded as well in order for Germany to gain a clearer picture of the suspects in serious crime cases, as well as ascertain how integration efforts are proceeding.
In neighboring Denmark, this data is recorded, and it shows that second-generation Danish citizens with a migration background have higher rates of criminality than the first generation of migrants.
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