A German court on Friday began the closed-door trial of a 21-year-old man accused of coercing children and teenagers online to self-harm and perform sexual acts, allegedly leading to the suicide of a 13-year-old boy in the United States. The case marks a legal first in Germany, as it is the country’s first murder trial linked to a suicide that occurred in another jurisdiction.
Prosecutors say the accused, who allegedly used the online alias “White Tiger,” faces one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder, alongside dozens of other offences committed between 2021 and 2023 against more than 30 victims. Authorities allege he led a cybercrime group known as “764,” which targeted vulnerable children across several countries, manipulating them emotionally and blackmailing them into escalating acts of self-harm.
The trial is expected to run until December, with 82 hearings scheduled, and no verdict anticipated this year. Although murder convictions in Germany typically carry a 15-year sentence, the accused faces a reduced sentencing range of six months to 10 years because he was a minor at the time of the alleged crimes. The case was launched following a tip from the FBI, which had been investigating the US teenager’s death.
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