The federal police are conducting investigations in at least five states in Germany in connection with the online network 764. The criminal pedophile sadistic network is considered extremely manipulative and dangerous, writes ARD. Its members purposefully come into contact with children and minors on various gaming platforms in order to then manipulate them, sexually abuse them and torture them. In some cases, minors have even been driven to suicide.
764 became known in June after the arrest of a 20-year-old man in Hamburg. He is suspected of committing serious sex crimes, attempted murder and murder under the name "White Tiger". The man denies the charges, and in the meantime, the Hamburg prosecutor's office is investigating another suspect who was also part of the network. Investigations by German journalists have revealed that the network's structures in the country are clearly larger than previously thought.
The authorities' late reaction could be fatal
However, police investigations are slow and the authorities have difficulty identifying the phenomenon in order to track it down, ARD notes, citing the case of Jason Sokolowski and his daughter from Vancouver, Canada. As a result of many hours of chats, over a period of months, the 14-year-old girl developed an emotional dependence, according to the father. At first, he considered the contact harmless, but then he noticed the scratches on his daughter's hands.
That's how he found out that she had joined a sect that practiced self-harm, and he sought help. But his warnings were met with skepticism. "The police thought I was overwhelmed as a father. Nobody understood what I was talking about." Earlier this year, his daughter committed suicide, and in the meantime, authorities are investigating the case, ARD reports.
Criminologists have a strategy
Criminologists describe the approach of networks like 764 as extremely well-organized. Criminals purposefully seek out vulnerable young people, for example, through accounts that are queer, through evidence of family conflicts or depressive content. Jason Sokolowski believes that these factors also attracted attention to his daughter. "She was queer, her mother and I were separated. All of this obviously made her vulnerable."
After identifying the victim, the bonding process begins. The so-called "phases of love" alternate with phases of rejection and isolation. Over time, relationships of emotional dependence develop, ARD describes the phenomenon. Experts call it cyber grooming - deliberately establishing closeness with a child with the aim of seducing him.
Criminologist Thomas-Gabriel Rüdiger from the Brandenburg police has been dealing with this phenomenon for years and says that many of the criminals can never be discovered - the pursuits are carried out individually, some of the perpetrators fall into the hands of the police, but the relevant network can never be completely dismantled.
Authors: ARD - Svea Eckert, Anne Ruprecht, Kathrin Erdmann, Angelika Henkel