German authorities, following information supplied by the FBI, have arrested a young man accused of manipulating a 14-year-old girl in the United States and contributing to her death by suicide, prosecutors said Friday.
The 18-year-old suspect was taken into custody in Hamburg on Thursday. He is accused of indirect involvement in murder as well as causing grievous bodily harm.
Timothy J. O’Malley, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis field office, said the bureau worked with the Fort Wayne Police Department to share investigative information with German law enforcement. Fort Wayne police said their Homicide Unit had identified a suspect believed to have played a role in the juvenile’s death.
“Anyone who targets or exploits a child should understand this: There is no safe haven from justice. 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,” O’Malley said.
Investigators allege that the suspect was part of an online community called “Nefarious Maniac Kult,” or “NMK.” German prosecutors said the group is connected to the wider international network commonly referred to as “764” or “COM.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau recorded a 300% rise in cases involving nihilistic violent extremism between September 2024 and September 2025, with many linked to the 764 network. While the group does not promote one defined ideology, authorities say its members encourage self-harm and violence and pressure victims to create videos showing self-injury or child sexual abuse.
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Prosecutors say the suspect, who was 17 at the time, used the messaging platform Discord between September and October to exert control over the Indiana teenager, whom they described as psychologically vulnerable.
According to the allegations, he urged the girl to injure herself, write “NMK” on a wall using her own blood and send him video of what she had done. Prosecutors said she died by suicide in her bedroom several days later.
Authorities further allege that the suspect wanted a recording of the girl’s death, either to boost his standing within the online group or to gain admission to it.
