On April 22, 2026, Hamburg prosecutors filed charges against a teenager accused of coercing seven girls aged 12 to 15 into sexual acts and self-harm via social media, allegedly founding online groups modeled after the international sadist network „764“.
The indictment, released by the Hamburger Staatsanwaltschaft, states the accused manipulated victims emotionally, pressuring one girl to carve his name and the names of his groups into her skin. Prosecutors cite 37 incidents occurring between May 2023 and March 2024, charging him with severe child sexual abuse, sexual coercion, and dangerous bodily harm through indirect perpetration.
Though the suspect is alleged to have structured his activities after the „764“ network, prosecutors explicitly stated there are no confirmed links to the individual known as „White Tiger“, a 21-year-old German-Iranian from Hamburg currently undergoing a non-public trial since January 13 for 204 alleged crimes committed between 2021 and 2023.
Der Spiegel reported additionally that between summer 2024 and spring 2025, the teenager allegedly lured eleven men through dating platforms under false pretenses before attacking them in what prosecutors believe were homophobic-motivated assaults.
The accused has remained in pre-trial detention since December 23 of the previous year. If the case proceeds to trial, it will be held behind closed doors, consistent with the handling of the „White Tiger“ case.
Authorities note that the „764“ network derives its name from a fragment of the ZIP code of Stephenville, Texas, where the network’s American founder is serving an 80-year prison sentence.
How the alleged offenses unfolded across different victim groups
The prosecution’s case splits into two distinct phases: first, the manipulation of adolescent girls through social media, involving sexual coercion and self-injury; second, a separate series of encounters with adult men initiated via dating apps, culminating in physical attacks attributed to homophobic bias.
Investigators say the shift from online exploitation of minors to in-person violence against men suggests an escalation in behavior, though they have not established a direct causal link between the two patterns.
Why the trial will remain closed to the public
German law permits closed proceedings in cases involving severe sexual offenses against minors to protect victim identity and prevent retraumatization. Both this case and the ongoing „White Tiger“ trial fall under this provision.
Legal experts note that while transparency is a principle of open justice, the gravity of the alleged crimes and the vulnerability of the victims justify restricted access, particularly given the potential for further dissemination of abusive material.
What specific charges does the teenager face?
He is charged with severe sexual abuse of children, sexual coercion, and dangerous bodily harm in indirect perpetration related to the alleged acts against seven girls between May 2023 and March 2024, plus eleven counts of assault against men between summer 2024 and spring 2025 believed to be motivated by homophobia.
Is there any connection between this case and the „White Tiger“ trial?
Prosecutors have stated there are no confirmed links between the accused teenager and the individual known as „White Tiger“, despite the alleged imitation of the „764“ network’s structure in the teenager’s online activities.
