German Teen Arrested in Hamburg Over Death of 14-Year-Old American Girl

German police have arrested an 18-year-old in Hamburg on suspicion of driving a 14-year-old girl in the United States to take her own life, prosecutors said Friday. The arrest took place Thursday and followed a tip from the FBI.

The suspect is accused of being the indirect perpetrator of murder and grievous bodily harm. According to the Hamburg public prosecutor's office, he was linked to an online group called "Nefarious Maniac Kult," also known as "NMK," which belongs to a global network known as "COM."

Prosecutors allege that between September and October, when the suspect was 17, he used Discord to "exert influence" over a girl from Indiana. Prosecutors described her as "psychologically fragile."

He allegedly pressured her to cut herself and to write the letters "NMK" on a wall in her own blood. She was also allegedly made to send him video recordings of these acts. A few days later, prosecutors said, she hanged herself in her bedroom.

The suspect is further accused of having sought a video recording of her death. Prosecutors said he hoped it would raise his standing within the group or help him gain entry to it.

FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O'Malley said his office worked with the Fort Wayne Police Department to give German police information that helped advance the arrest. The Fort Wayne Police Department said its Homicide Unit identified a suspect who contributed to the juvenile's death.

"Anyone who targets or exploits a child should understand this: There is no safe haven from justice," O'Malley said. "It doesn't matter where you live or where you try to hide. The FBI will work with our partners around the world to find you and hold you accountable."

The case comes amid what the FBI describes as a sharp rise in so-called nihilistic violent extremism. FBI Director Kash Patel said that from September 2024 to September 2025, the bureau saw a 300% increase in such cases, many of them involving the group known as 764.

According to the source material, 764 lacks a specific ideology, but its members openly encourage self-harm and violence. They also urge victims to produce videos documenting acts of self-harm or child sexual abuse material.