Germany arrests alleged online abuse group leader

German prosecutors said Thursday they had arrested the suspected ringleader of an online group accused of inciting murder and other acts of sadistic violence involving minors.

The suspect, identified only as Kai M., was arrested in March and is in pre-trial detention, federal prosecutors said. They said he is under 20 and will be tried as a juvenile.

Prosecutors accused Kai M. and other members of his online group of inciting a minor in Russia to fatally injure another child. He is also alleged to have incited others to commit murder and set cars on fire.

Federal prosecutors described the network as a terrorist organisation influenced by far-right ideology. They said Kai M. is suspected of contacting a child in another European country online and inducing the child to injure themselves during sexual acts.

Prosecutors said he was involved in two criminal groups, one of which aimed to cause serious crimes such as murder or manslaughter with the goal of bringing about the collapse of social order. He is also suspected of spreading video footage of crimes he allegedly instigated.

The groups were described as connected to the so-called “Com scene”, short for community, made up of people searching social media and gaming platforms for young victims who can be coerced or manipulated into harmful acts.

The case echoes that of a 21-year-old German-Iranian man known as the “White Tiger”, who is accused of multiple sadistic online crimes including coercing a 13-year-old to take their own life. His trial began in a juvenile court in Hamburg in January, with hearings scheduled until December.