German police are hunting for a teenager accused of murdering a nine-year-old boy and boasting about it online.
Marcel Hesse allegedly posted a photo and video of him gloating next to the victim's bloody body on the dark web - a part of the internet which is hidden and often used for illegal activity.
He's accused of sending the video to another user of the dark web, who reported it to police.
Police found the body of a nine-year-old boy, with stab wounds, in a basement of a house in Herne on Monday night (local time).
A shrine honouring the boy was set up outside his house on Tuesday evening and residents have been left stunned by the crime.
"I'm afraid because I have kids myself who are completely terrified to even go out on the street," resident Ramona Adomeit told local media.
Hesse and his victim were neighbours, police say.
The classmates of the nine-year-old have been left grieving by his murder. One mother says her daughter was deeply upset when she found out.
"She said, 'I played with Jaden last week on the playground'," Ms Kaufmann said.
Sniffer dogs and helicopters have been brought into the search for Hesse and the public is advised not to approach him as he may be dangerous.
He had no previous criminal record and was a loner with few friends, according to German newspaper Der Spiegel.
Newshub.
