Pedocriminal community 764” exposed: Hamburg’s children in danger!

Pedocriminal community 764” exposed: Hamburg’s children in danger!

The arrest of a leading member of the pedo-criminal Internet community “764” caused a stir in Hamburg. The 20-year-old German-Iranian Shahriar J. is suspected of having sexually abused numerous children and young people virtually on social networks, games and forums. He operated under the pseudonym “White Tiger” and is said to have specifically stalked young people who were mentally unstable or in difficult life situations. The Hamburg public prosecutor's office and the police announced the success of the investigation at a press conference. The arrest took place on Tuesday night, while J. denies the allegations and is in custody, which surprised his family. According to the investigators, videos glorifying violence, among other things, were found in his possession.

The network, which prosecutor Nicolas Benz described as a “network of fear,” is said to have operated in the darkest of ways. A particularly frightening case concerns a 13-year-old boy from the USA who is said to have taken his own life under J.'s influence. J. is held responsible for criminal acts against eight victims from different countries, including Germany, England, Canada and the USA. What is interesting is that tips from the FBI led to the arrest after a search took place in September 2023 that secured important data storage devices.

Demands for improved investigative structures

The Association of German Criminal Investigators (BDK) is now calling for a sustained effort to combat cybercrime. Jan Reinecke, the state chairman of the criminalists' union, makes it clear that specialized criminalists are needed for undercover investigations. Reference is made to the current lack of legal regulations that hinder the police in their work. Especially in the area of ​​monitoring telecommunications traffic, there are major deficits that urgently need to be remedied, says Reinecke.

Cybergrooming is one of the biggest dangers for children and young people on the Internet. Police crime statistics show that 3,457 cases of cybergrooming have already been recorded in 2024, which represents an alarming increase compared to the 2,580 cases from the previous year. Cybercrime, that's what it explains Police advice, includes contact between adults and minors with the aim of sexually harassing or abusing them. Such perpetrators use harmless contact options on social networks or online games to get to their victims.

The reality for children and young people

Many children and young people often do not know how to deal with sexual harassment on the Internet. A current survey by the North Rhine-Westphalia Media Authority shows that one in four children maintains contact with adult chat partners, even if they know their real age. Reasons for this include appreciation and curiosity about further interactions. The proportion of young people affected by cybergrooming has fallen slightly since 2021, but 25% of 8 to 17 year olds report experiences with such attacks on social media or online games.

Parents are asked to make arrangements with their children to support them in an emergency. Protecting children from such dangers requires joint action and commitment. The police also recommend documenting chat history in the event of suspicion and seeking help from local police stations in good time.