Two 17-year-old Greek teenagers—one from Crete and the other from Thessaloniki—have been identified and arrested as members of an international online network involved in the sexual exploitation and sadistic abuse of minors. The breakthrough followed a joint investigation by Greece’s Cybercrime Unit and U.S. authorities, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Homeland Security Investigations.
Coercion, Self-Harm, and Exploitation
According to police findings, the suspects used social media accounts to target, threaten, and coerce underage girls into producing and sharing explicit material. They also pressured victims to inflict self-harm—including carving names or online aliases onto their bodies—as part of a broader pattern of psychological manipulation and control.
How the Network Operates
The group functions through intimidation, blackmail, and intense psychological pressure, aiming to force minors into creating and sending sexually abusive content. In some cases, victims were reportedly encouraged—or even coerced—into self-destructive or suicidal behavior.
Investigation and Arrests
A detailed digital forensic analysis, combined with cross-border information sharing, led investigators to pinpoint the suspects’ locations within Greece. Preliminary judicial orders authorized data requests to internet and telecom providers, confirming their identities, home internet connections, and residences in Heraklion (Crete) and Thessaloniki.
On the morning of Thursday, June 18, 2026, coordinated raids were carried out: Cybercrime Unit officers conducted searches in Heraklion with support from the Malevizi Police Department, while another team from the Northern Greece Cybercrime Sub-Directorate executed a parallel operation in Thessaloniki.
During the searches—conducted in the presence of judicial officials—authorities seized two mobile phones, a laptop, an internal hard drive, and an external hard drive. On-site digital forensics revealed videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors.
Both suspects face charges related to child pornography under Greek criminal law, with investigations ongoing.