Pod Insights Casefile True Crime Case 315: Operation Cacam About this episode *** Content warnings: child victims, child abuse, child sexual assault, child exploitation ***
In 2013, a forum appeared on the dark web called Hurt2theCore. Run by an anonymous user known only as Lux, it was a digital cesspool dedicated to one of the most vile subgenres of illicit pornography. It quickly became Lux’s most notorious creation and drew the attention of global law enforcement.
As investigators delved into its murky depths, they found themselves up against one of the dark web’s most depraved predators - a shadowy figure known only as 666Devil…
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Narration – Anonymous Host https://www.instagram.com/caseys.snaps/
Research & writing – Milly Raso
Creative direction – Milly Raso
Production & music – Mike Migas http://mikemigas.com/
Audio editing – Anthony Telfer
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Transcript 11,596 words · 5 speakers
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1:35 Speaker 00 Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support and for a more detailed list of content warnings, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. This episode features distressing subject matter pertaining to the sexual abuse of children and the production of child exploitation content. It will not be suitable for all listeners. The names of several witnesses have been changed.
2:16 Speaker 00 From her family's home in the quiet, wind-swept countryside of East Anglia in southern England, 16-year-old Tessa Dorsey posted an ad on The Classifieds website Gumtree, wanting to earn some extra money babysitting. It didn't take long before Tessa received a response, but her excitement quickly gave way to confusion when she realised the sender wasn't looking to hire her to watch any children. Instead, a woman named Liz Candell presented Tessa with a strange opportunity. "First off, I fully accept that this offer may not be for everyone, so feel free to say no," Liz wrote.
2:59 Speaker 00 "But my offer is as follows: I will be interested in receiving from you photographs of yourself either topless or in the nude." Liz admitted that while she wouldn't quite call herself an artist, she had a deep passion for drawing, particularly in charcoal. Liz said she was searching for inspiration, believing the photographs Tessa could provide would fuel her creativity. She encouraged Tessa to adjust the terms of the offer to suit her comfort level, such as taking the photos from behind so her face wouldn't be visible. In any case, Liz assured Tessa that no one would ever see them.
3:43 Speaker 00 In exchange for the images, Liz promised a generous payment of up to £1,200, depending on their quality, quantity, and the poses Tessa was willing to provide. The money could be transferred online via PayPal, a bank transfer, or even Amazon gift cards. The message ended politely: "Thanks for taking the time to read this, Liz."
4:11 Speaker 00 Tessa didn't buy Liz's story for a second. She was certain Liz Candell was the fake identity of a man seeking child exploitation material. When Tessa threatened to report Liz, her mask slipped immediately. Her tone turned sharp and cruel as she bombarded Tessa with vile sexually explicit images of other underage girls. Liz warned that the onslaught was merely "a gentle start".
4:45 Speaker 00 The message was clear: "Comply or face the consequences." If Tessa refused, Liz threatened to send the explicit images to Tessa's friends and family, telling them that the photographs were of her. Disturbed and frightened, Tessa broke down in tears and rushed to tell her mother what was going on. They reported the incident to the local authorities, but it seemed nothing was done to stop whoever was behind Liz Candell.
5:18 Speaker 00 Months later, frustrated by the lack of police action, Tessa took matters into her own hands. She posted a warning about Liz Candell on her online Facebook page, writing: "This man is a sicko and the police aren't doing anything."
5:37 Speaker 00 Her post gained traction and soon caught the attention of Britain's National Crime Agency, or the NCA, the country's highest level of law enforcement which specializes in cybercrime. The NCA reached out to Tessa Dorsey and examined the disturbing photos that Liz Candell had sent her.
5:59 Speaker 00 For the first time, Tessa felt as if her voice was being heard and it gave her a sense of empowerment to know she was helping track down a dangerous predator. But the images she had been forced to view left a permanent scar on her memory.
6:16 Speaker 00 "Even today, I can't forget those pictures", she later admitted. "I don't think I ever will."
6:48 Speaker 00 Tessa Dorsey’s unsettling encounter with Liz Candell was of great concern to the National Crime Agency. For several years, the organisation had been entrenched in a global investigation into the malicious underbelly of the dark web. Unlike the mainstream internet, the dark web cannot be accessed through conventional search engines. It requires specialised software that not only anonymises users, but also encrypts their web traffic, making their activities difficult to trace.
7:24 Speaker 00 Beneath this veil of secrecy lies a sprawling network of hidden websites, forums and marketplaces. People who inhabit the dark web often do so to protect their privacy, making it especially valuable in regions burdened by censorship or surveillance. It is seen as a haven for secure free speech, expression and the sharing of sensitive information. However, this same anonymity has also made it a refuge for criminal activity. Everything from drugs and weapons to stolen identities and hacked passwords are bought and sold in this virtual underworld.
8:06 Speaker 00 The original and most notorious of the dark web’s illicit marketplaces emerged in 2011 under the name Silk Road, as covered in episode 76 of Case File. The dark web also facilitates the creation and distribution of illegal pornography. And one particularly obscene forum had drawn the scrutiny of law enforcement agencies worldwide.
8:35 Speaker 00 The dark web forum titled Hurt to the Core specialized in a subgenre called Hurtcore, a portmanteau of the words hurt and hardcore. Hurtcore is considered one of the most extreme and depraved forms of pornography, as it often involves brutal violence and bodily harm. Dark web expert and author of The Darkest Web, Eileen Ormsby, described Hurtcore as: "A fetish for people who get aroused by the infliction of pain or even torture." She emphasized that a key element of Hurtcore is a victim who is not a willing participant.
9:20 Speaker 00 Although adult Hurtcore exists, the users who frequented the Hurt to the Core forum weren't interested in just any violent sexual content. Their obsession revolved specifically around children, and the abuse couldn't be simulated or role-played, it had to be genuine.
9:41 Speaker 00 As Eileen Ormsby explained on her self-titled blog: "The child's pain is not a by-product. It is deliberately inflicted, recorded, and posted for the gratification of Hurtcore enthusiasts."
9:57 Speaker 00 Hurt to the Core emerged on the dark web in late February 2013, created by a user known only as Lux. Like most individuals on the dark web, Lux was an enigmatic figure who relied on anonymity to thrive. Although Lux ran multiple forums, wikis, chatrooms, video streaming and image upload services dedicated to pedophilia, Hurt to the Core was his empire, by far his most popular and active creation. His work was so notorious within the dark web that it had even drawn the ire of other resident pedophiles,
10:38 Speaker 00 who staunchly disavowed his promotion of cruelty and violence against children. Lux had earned the reputation as one of the dark web's most hated figures, receiving dozens of death threats each week. But, to Hurtcore enthusiasts, Lux was king.
10:58 Speaker 00 Lux claimed to be a pediatrician from the United States, but the validity of this claim and his true identity remained a mystery. As part of an investigation into the dark web, American tech journalist Patrick O’Neil reached out to several members of Hertz of the Corps, who agreed to speak to him through encrypted emails. When Lux caught wind of this, he reached out to Patrick directly, offering to be interviewed publicly for the first time.
11:31 Speaker 00 Securing an exclusive one-on-one interview with a prominent dark web figurehead was an incredibly rare opportunity, given that they typically shunned real-life exposure. To Patrick, the allure of interacting with the mysterious and influential Lux was tempting, but the decision to do so wasn’t easy.
11:53 Speaker 00 Lux was undoubtedly evil, and Patrick questioned whether he should give him a public platform at all.
12:03 Speaker 00 Patrick ultimately decided to accept Lux’s offer, believing it was in the public’s interest to do so.
12:11 Speaker 00 The interview was conducted over encrypted emails and then published in Kashmir Magazine. Lux revealed to Patrick that he first entered the dark web in 2011, ironically, as part of a targeted campaign against online pedophiles led by the hacktivist group Anonymous. Titled “Operation Darknet”, the group aimed to fight for the defenseless, believing that no one was more defenseless than a child who was being exploited. Their goal was to shut down several prominent child exploitation sites operating on the dark web and expose its users to police.
12:53 Speaker 00 Lux first learned about Operation Darknet on 4chan, a website he frequented where Anonymous members often coordinated their activities. Despite spending countless hours at his computer, Lux had never ventured onto the dark web and knew nothing about the illicit sites Anonymous was targeting. A mix of morbid curiosity and a desire to join the noble cause drew him in. He downloaded the necessary software and logged into the dark web for the first time.
13:28 Speaker 00 Operation Darknet was a decisive battle fought from behind computer screens around the world. Whenever Anonymous succeeded in taking down a child exploitation site, its owner would inevitably restore it. One site owner sent Anonymous a defiant message that read: “It is our God-given right that we can choose to have our sexual preferences for youth. It is the same for any other porn community. It is not what we choose to become, it is who we are. You do not have the right to censor us.” Anonymous stated firmly in response:
14:12 Speaker 00 “Child pornography is not free speech.”
14:18 Speaker 00 Within a month, Operation Darknet had successfully taken down forty child exploitation sites. Through carefully orchestrated infiltration, Anonymous had also managed to uncover the potential real-life identities of several of the site’s users.
14:37 Speaker 00 Their effort drew both praise and criticism from the public. While many applauded the dismantling of pedophile sanctuaries, others argued that taking down illegal websites should be the work of law enforcement, not vigilantes. Critics also pointed out that the attacks might have jeopardised ongoing police investigations, or compromised crucial evidence needed for prosecution.
15:05 Speaker 00 In the end, Anonymous’s success was short-lived. The authorities couldn’t act on the intelligence gathered by the group as it had been obtained illegally. Moreover, most of the shutdowns proved only temporary. While one major site eventually closed for good, the rest had merely gone dark, which meant they ceased activity where they were being monitored and shifted to private communication channels. Worse still, the widespread publicity of Operation Darknet triggered a surge in activity and membership within the dark web’s pedophile communities. Before long, the sites were back up and running, in even greater numbers.
15:54 Speaker 00 Exposure to the dark web changed Lux fundamentally. He admitted to Patrick O’Neil that it had awakened and normalized latent pedophilic urges he’d harbored since his teenage years.
16:09 Speaker 00 The communities he witnessed there were surprisingly supportive, offering him a sense of belonging that eased his depressive feelings and helped him form connections he struggled to build in the real world.
16:22 Speaker 00 To Lux, it was “like a home in there”.
16:28 Speaker 00 When Lux told other users that he was an American pediatrician who sexually abused children, his status within the community skyrocketed. He also gained respect as an enabler, teaching others how to procure victims, create content, and cover their tracks. He provided tech security tips to avoid real-world detection and explained how to strip identifying metadata from photos and videos.
16:58 Speaker 00 Lux also encouraged others to abuse children, tutoring one user who worked in short-term accommodation for intellectually disabled children to assault a girl in his care. He advised another on how to abduct, rape, and kill a five-year-old girl while also offering guidance on how to dispose of bodies.
17:21 Speaker 00 As Lux grew in popularity, he began creating illicit sites of his own and built what he came to refer to as his “pedo-vampire”. In time, he noticed a glaring gap in the market. The groups he participated in had either banned Hurt Core outright or tolerated it to a limited extent, but didn’t advertise it as a feature of their site. Seeking “complete freedom,” Lux set up the one and only forum dedicated to the repudiated subgenre.
17:59 Speaker 00 A pre-registration message on the site claimed that Hurt to the Core was censorship-free and dedicated to open discussion. “If you do not agree with that or are easily offended,” it warned, “then this is not the place for you.”
18:20 Speaker 00 Under Lux's leadership, Hurt to the Core grew into one of the largest distributors of child exploitation material and Hurtcore content in the world. The site relished in its depravity, with users posting videos and images depicting rape, murder, and the sexual abuse of animals and corpses. Lux told Patrick O’Neil that the forum was averaging 326 new accounts and around 160 posts daily. The thousands of members from around the world commissioned each other for new content tailored to their specific tastes.
19:00 Speaker 00 According to Lux, around 15,000 videos were downloaded from the forum each day. His separate “Pedo Wiki” website, which contained nearly 600 articles about pedophilia, had reportedly garnered millions of hits, though Patrick had no way of verifying any of Lux’s claims.
19:24 Speaker 00 At the helm of Hurt to the Core were 16 elite members of an exclusive VIP section called “The Producers Lounge”. In order to join, prospective members had to provide a defined amount of original video content. To prove it was original, they made their victims hold up “science” or write “unique identifiers” on their bodies such as “for Lux”. The attention fueled Lux’s ego, and he craved notoriety. It was this arrogance that ultimately led him to disregard warnings from his community and agreed to speak with journalist Patrick O’Neil.
20:09 Speaker 00 Despite having earned the title of “The King of Hurtcore”, Lux told Patrick that he didn’t even like Hurtcore. He was just defending other people’s right to enjoy it. Lux stated: “If anyone had ever done such a thing to any of the kids I know, I would put a bullet in their head. Given that, I still think that people who have an interest in such things should have a place where they’re able to voice their opinions and desires.”
20:40 Speaker 00 Lux explained that he didn’t benefit financially from his crimes and had no intention of doing so. He just considered himself a strong believer in free speech. But, as Patrick O’Neil pointed out, he has markedly less concern for the freedom of the actual children being exploited.
21:05 Speaker 00 Law enforcement deemed Lux one of the world’s worst online pedophiles. Agencies around the globe joined forces to launch Operation Downfall, a coordinated effort to dismantle pedo empire and bring Lux to justice. But Lux and his network were highly skilled in navigating the dark web, making them masters of their domain.
21:31 Speaker 00 Lux was supremely confident in his online security and certain he could never be identified. Aside from the police, countless others had tried to take him down over the years, including hacktivists and internet vigilantes, but none achieved lasting success. Whenever one of his sites was taken down, Lux would promptly restore it or create another in its likeness.
22:03 Speaker 00 In 2013, six months into Hurt to the Cause creation and as part of Operation Downfall, the USA’s Federal Bureau of Investigation seized the servers of Freedom Hosting, the world’s largest dark web hosting provider. This was a significant blow to Lux’s empire as it took down many of his sites. Undeterred, he resurfaced, this time hosting his own private web server, eliminating the reliance on third-party services and giving him complete control over his pedo empire.
22:41 Speaker 00 Other dark web users began rapidly setting up sites on Lux's servers, as he announced. "Well, it looks like this empire hasn't fallen yet." To any law enforcement agency who may be reading this, "Fuck you." "You cannot keep us down, and every time you try, we will just get bigger and bigger." "So thanks for the publicity, and leading more pedophiles to where you can't catch them."
23:13 Speaker 00 Yet, by early 2014, members of Lux's community began to suspect something was amiss, as he had become uncharacteristically slow to respond to their messages. For the first time, Lux's bravado faltered, and he seemed to genuinely afraid that the police were closing in on him. When a member of Hertz of the Corps once mused about the possibility of Lux being exposed, he confidently assured them that he would go down in a blaze of glory. That so-called "blaze of glory" began when Lux reached out to the FBI through a cyber tip hotline.
23:55 Speaker 00 "My name is Lux," his email began. "And not only do I run the largest online suite of child pornography websites, but I also have knowledge about its users and their identities, unrivaled by anyone out there. On top of that, I also have complete control over the large group of proven producers on any site. I am sure that access to this, let alone everything else I am offering you, is merit for the conditions I will outline below."
24:30 Speaker 00 In exchange for relinquishing full control of his empire, including his Lux persona, Lux demanded $50,000 in digital currency and immunity across all jurisdictions.
24:44 Speaker 00 When this attempt failed, Lux pivoted dramatically, claiming he was motivated by a desire to dismantle his own pedophile network to protect the victims they had harmed. He wrote to the FBI: "It is clear you are not taking my offer seriously. It is not a game. These are real lives you are bargaining on. I will get rid of these people because no one else will. As you do not want to be part of the solution, I bid you farewell."
25:19 Speaker 00 In June 2014, having failed to convince the authorities to meet his demands, Lux abruptly shut down all of his sites and announced his immediate retirement from the dark web. He told journalist Patrick O'Neil that the decision was prompted by personal issues brought to his attention by close friends. "As always, all empires eventually fall," Lux stated. "And today is the day that the pedo empire falls. After years of running child pornography hidden services, today is the day that I walk away. I don't like long awkward farewells, so goodbye."
26:05 Speaker 00 Within two months, he was back on the dark web confiding to a close friend that while he had killed off Lux, he had been reborn under the username Buddha and was already working on a new website.
26:24 Speaker 00 At dawn on Tuesday, August 26, 2014, three years after Lux first emerged on the dark web, a police task force in Victoria, Australia, prepared to carry out a raid. Unbeknownst to Lux, he had befriended an undercover officer online who had successfully infiltrated his network. They had gathered crucial intel that led them to where he was hosting his illegal operations: a home on a quiet suburban cul-de-sac in South Morang.
26:59 Speaker 00 The house was occupied by a family of four: a father, a mother, son and a daughter. Based on their intelligence, authorities believed that one of them was the king of Hurtcore, Lux. Given that Lux’s online behaviour suggested he had a degree of life experience, they assumed it had to be the father, a mechanic and panel beater aged in his 50s.
27:27 Speaker 00 But when officers stormed the house, they quickly realised their mistake.
27:34 Speaker 00 As it turned out, Lux was actually the scrawny, pimply-faced son of the family, 21-year-old Matthew Graham. A bright, albeit unremarkable, former nanotechnology student, Graham had dropped out of university and spent the past three years holed up in his bedroom, glued to his laptop. Shy, insecure and socially anxious, he had withdrawn from society and barely interacted with his family.
28:05 Speaker 00 He didn’t even come out of his room to eat dinner, though he did occasionally babysit his neighbours’ six children, all aged under 10.
28:16 Speaker 00 Matthew Graham initially spent most of his time online engrossed in multiplayer games. These communities led him to 4chan, which then guided him into the dark web. When he first took on the Lux persona, Graham was only 18 years old and still in high school.
28:37 Speaker 00 He had always believed himself to be asexual, experiencing no sexual attraction or feelings toward anyone. He claimed his interest in child exploitation material was driven by a mix of repulsion and fascination. As time went on, he consumed increasingly depraved content, seeking an emotional response that never surfaced. Graham said he felt disconnected from the suffering, as if he were from another planet. Yet, he eventually began masturbating to it.
29:17 Speaker 00 Matthew Graham's family was stunned to learn what he had been up to. All this time, they thought he was just gaming in his bedroom. While he had no criminal record, academic issues, or behavioural problems, his parents spoke of his diagnosed schizoid personality disorder, anxiety, and depression, and how he rejected all of their attempts to get him professional help. There was no mention of any significant childhood trauma, humiliation, or abuse that could have explained his actions.
29:53 Speaker 00 The police had considered Lux to be devilishly smart, but, outside of the dark web, Matthew Graham was a meek, awkward individual who was “unlikely to win a battle of wits” or anything else. Though he initially refused to cooperate, he eventually surrendered the password to his laptop, revealing the full extent of his crimes.
30:20 Speaker 00 Matthew Graham held the most depraved collection of pornography the case investigators had ever encountered. He attempted to spin a narrative, claiming he had established his pedo empire to catch child abusers, an excuse the police quickly dismissed. He finally admitted his real motivation was a desire to be a part of something, explaining: “The sexualisation was never anything I was interested in. It was the power within the community.”
30:55 Speaker 00 There was no evidence to suggest that Matthew Graham had ever harmed any child left in his care. In fact, despite his assertions online, Graham was classified as a non-contact offender.
31:10 Speaker 00 While he actively facilitated abuse, he never physically committed it himself. However, police believed that if left unchecked, it was only a matter of time before he escalated.
31:25 Speaker 00 Matthew Graham ultimately pleaded guilty to 13 child exploitation charges. Author Eileen Ormsby attended Graham's sentencing hearing in 2016 and recounted the experience in her book, The Darkest Web. With his family present in support, Graham hunched over and sobbed quietly as the details of the crimes he facilitated and encouraged were revealed to the court. Prior to reaching their decision, the judge was legally obligated to view a notoriously depraved dark web video promoted by Graham online, which depicted the abuse of a toddler. At first, the judge couldn't bring himself to do it.
32:10 Speaker 00 When he finally gathered the mental fortitude to leave the courtroom and view the material the next day, he returned half an hour later noticeably quiet and pale.
32:22 Speaker 00 "It was my clear duty to watch it," he said.
32:27 Speaker 00 "I wish it hadn't been. It is the worst thing I have ever seen. How any human can view that impassively?
32:38 Speaker 00 To you, it was just footage for your stock. It was pure evil. I've seen some shocking things over the journey of my career, and I have never seen anything like that. I can find no like cases. Your case is without parallel."
33:00 Speaker 00 For apparently showing signs of remorse, Matthew Graham was sentenced to 15 years in prison. With good behaviour and concessions, he could be released in as little as 10.
33:13 Speaker 00 As part of Operation Downfall and with Graham agreeing to be an informer, several other key members of Lux's network were identified and convicted. The investigation also resulted in the rescue of 30 young abuse victims worldwide.
33:32 Speaker 00 News of Lux's arrest sent shockwaves through the Dark Web. Many were stunned to learn the reigning king of Hurtcore was merely a gaming tech nerd barely out of high school. His downfall was nevertheless widely celebrated, with detractors attributing Lux's undoing to his unchecked arrogance and inflated ego.
33:57 Speaker 00 One user said: "He is now paying the price for his deeds, and he is now another name in the past of Darknet. I figure it is best to let him be in the past and fade away."
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38:40 Speaker 00 Following Matthew Graham’s momentous capture, his pedo empire had effectively crumbled. However, replacement sites quickly emerged to fill the void. One was a forum titled Scream Bitch, which marked an escalation of the depravity previously featured on Hurt to the Core. In the years that followed, Scream Bitch flourished, setting authorities back in their efforts to completely dismantle the dark web’s thriving pedophile enterprise. An avid poster to Scream Bitch was a user known as 666devil. He had earned a notable reputation on the dark web for his unique brand of original
39:24 Speaker 00 child exploitation material. 666devil posed online as a woman named Liz Candell and sought out underage girls as young as 12, claiming to be a budding artist willing to pay for nude photographs. He was known to frequent websites like Gumtree and Facebook, where he searched for posts by girls requesting money for innocuous work, such as dog walking or babysitting. He would then offer an exorbitant payment to tempt them into becoming Liz’s art subject. “It’s up to you. I understand if you don’t want to,” he assured them, reinforcing the illusion that they were in control and that nothing was amiss.
40:11 Speaker 00 666 Devil sometimes engaged his targets in friendly conversations in which he carefully probed for personal details and hidden traumas he could then exploit. He believed that vulnerable girls made for easier targets as they were often eager to interact with a kind person who was willing to listen.
40:35 Speaker 00 He asked seemingly compassionate questions like: "I'm really interested in you and I want to find out more about you. Isn't your life hard?"
40:47 Speaker 00 He fabricated connections by lying about being infertile and suffering from depression, all the while trawling websites frequented by susceptible, sensitive, or naive girls, including forums dedicated to eating disorders. Although most of his victims were underage girls, his abuse also extended to boys as well as adult men and women. Behind the scenes, 666 Devil carried out reconnaissance, gathering every piece of information he could about his targets, including their name, address, school, workplace, friends, and family.
41:29 Speaker 00 Unaware of the intricate web of deceit being spun around them, the girls eventually placed their trust in Liz and sent her the photographs she requested. The moment 666 Devil received the images, the kind and supportive Liz façade vanished. He revealed to the girls that he wasn't a forlorn artist, but rather, their worst nightmare.
42:00 Speaker 00 "Those photos you've sent won't hurt me", he told his victims, "but will end badly for you." The girls were then given two options: "Complete destruction", 666 Devil explained, "or be my slave."
42:18 Speaker 00 He said they could either continue to provide him with explicit photographs of themselves, or he would send the images he already possessed to their family, friends, neighbors, school, employers, and even their bullies. He also threatened to plaster the photos across the mainstream internet, making them go viral. "I'll share your details on the dark web," he warned. "They'll all compete to ruin your life."
42:49 Speaker 00 The girls were given as little as forty-eight hours to respond. Ignoring his demands was fruitless. If they dared to defy 666 Devil, he promised to distribute the images anyway.
43:04 Speaker 00 Certain no one could ever identify him, he taunted his victims by asserting. "Even if you gave the police direct access to every single thing I have sent you, I am still one hundred percent safe."
43:19 Speaker 00 Confused and paralyzed by fear, the victims felt they had no other choice but to comply with 666 Devil. One girl later told police:
43:32 Speaker 00 "I felt stupid and trapped. The idea of people seeing me topless made me feel sick. I knew I couldn't let it happen. I didn't know who Liz was or why she was doing this, but I felt I had no option."
43:50 Speaker 00 After procuring his victim, 666 Devil's demands became increasingly degrading. He ordered the girls to strip naked and to take photos with demeaning or offensive comments scrawled on their bodies. He demanded that they photograph themselves licking toilet bowls, brushes, or used sanitary products, eating dog food or excrement, or attaching painful bulldog clips to sensitive parts of their bodies.
44:19 Speaker 00 The cruel demands left many girls with serious injuries, but 666 Devil was relentless. One victim later stated: "Every day when I woke up, there would be a message. When I came home from school, there would be a message. When I wasn't actually talking to him, I was worried about when the next message was going to come through."
44:47 Speaker 00 To exert even greater control over his victims, 666 Devil demanded access to their social media accounts. He also sometimes created fake profiles impersonating his victims to wreak havoc on their personal lives.
45:04 Speaker 00 In one instance, he messaged a victim’s schoolmate while posing as the victim, provoking a confrontation by claiming they wanted to fight. When the victim returned to school, they were beaten, completely unaware that the attack had been orchestrated by their online tormentor. The girls always did as they were told, hoping that complying would stop their ordeal from spiraling further out of control. One of the girls, who was in foster care at the time, was told her disabled brother would be taken away from her if she did not keep sending pictures of herself. Yet, with each new photograph sent, things only worsened.
45:48 Speaker 00 666 Devil made his victims perform violent and sexual acts on their pets and abuse and torture their siblings, some of whom were infants. One girl was ordered to record herself violently stomping on her younger brother; another was made to sexually assault her four-year-old sibling.
46:10 Speaker 00 666 Devil’s victims felt helpless as the constant threat of exposure loomed over them. If they stopped obeying, they believed that their loved ones would receive all the humiliating images and their lives would be ruined beyond repair. “Do you really want your friends to see these?” 666 Devil asked them mockingly. “I will do everything I can to make your life awful.”
46:39 Speaker 00 The girls were trapped, their lives consumed by paranoia, depression, and in some cases, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
46:49 Speaker 00 Many of their personal relationships were destroyed as they tried to navigate the struggles of the real world while secretly enduring horrific abuses in the digital one.
47:01 Speaker 00 When one victim told 666 Devil that she was thinking of ending her own life to make it all stop, he replied: "Well, you might end it all, but that would not mean that your images don't get circulated. Your images will still be circulated to your family and it will still be published online. So what good is that going to be to you? You have no choice."
47:29 Speaker 00 One of the girls victimized by 666 Devil later spoke anonymously with the BBC, explaining why she followed his demands. Through tears, she said: "I felt like people wouldn't understand that it wasn't my fault, how it started, and I didn't want to do it. I was ashamed, and obviously you've heard what the pictures were like. They were awful, and I didn't want any of my friends to think that I wanted to do that. But I felt that no one would understand because there was no one there sort of holding a knife to me, saying, 'You will do this', even though it felt like that. So I didn't tell anyone."
48:16 Speaker 00 666 Devil shared the images of his victims with other pedophiles on the dark web through forums like HurtToTheCore and ScreamBitch, even offering advice on how they could replicate his con. "I love blackmail," he told them, "especially forcing someone to do things they don't want to for amusement."
48:40 Speaker 00 He made no financial gain, acting solely for the sheer thrill and clout of sharing his material. This also meant there was no money or digital currency trail for authorities to follow.
48:55 Speaker 00 Nevertheless, the FBI had been working diligently to identify 666 Devil since he first appeared on the dark web in 2009. Over the coming years, they carefully examined the graphic content he shared online in hopes of uncovering clues to his identity and the true scope of his offending. The material they were forced to review was some of the darkest, most depraved content they had ever encountered. The emotional toll was immense, but the evidence only strengthened their resolve to capture 666 Devil and protect his victims.
49:35 Speaker 00 By 2013, 666 Devil’s behaviour on Scream Bitch was raising serious alarm bells. He posted an image on the forum of a young, pajama-clad girl between the ages of 5 and 7. She was holding a sign that read “Hi, Heart SB”, the initials of Scream Bitch, along with a date just a few days away. According to 666 Devil, the girl was his daughter whom he admitted to abusing regularly. Among his disturbing claims, he asserted that he kept her in a cage and fed her dog food.
50:19 Speaker 00 The revelation that 666 Devil had unlimited access to a child earned him celebrity status among the other paedophiles. However, the point of his post was to advertise what he called “Hell Week”, seven days of intense abuse he intended to carry out against his daughter as dictated by the Scream Bitch community. He asked his like-minded followers: “What do you want me to do to her?” When one replied “How far are you prepared to go?” 666 Devil responded gleefully: “There are no limits.”
51:03 Speaker 00 Users responded excitedly with suggestions on how to terrorise 666 Devil's Daughter, from the psychological to the physical. Some of their ideas were considered by the police to be relatively mundane, but nevertheless evil, like mixing bags of white and brown rice in a bowl and getting the child to separate the minuscule grains by colour. Other suggestions were more unsafe, like starving her for a day. The brainstorming session quickly devolved into users encouraging abhorrent criminal acts. One proposed: "Show her the meaning of pain, that would be beautiful to see."
51:48 Speaker 00 666 Devil replied, relishing the discussion: "I have so many ideas."
51:57 Speaker 00 Although the real-life identity of 666 Devil remained a mystery, intelligence gathered by the FBI suggested that he was likely a man based in the UK. Given the urgency of the situation, they alerted their British counterparts at the National Crime Agency, who sprang into action, desperate to rescue the child at the centre of the abuse.
52:22 Speaker 00 But they had an arduous journey ahead. Even if the assumption that the offender was a British man was correct, there were over 30 million men over the age of 18 in the UK at the time. Trying to find 666 Devil in the real world felt like searching for a needle in a haystack.
52:45 Speaker 00 Undeterred, the NCA launched a dedicated investigation titled "Operation Cacam", aimed at bringing down 666 Devil once and for all.
52:57 Speaker 00 They immediately issued a national child rescue alert to all law enforcement agencies across the UK. The alert contained the image of the girl 666 Devil claimed to be his daughter, along with urgent instructions to report any sightings of her directly to the NCA. Meanwhile, NCA staff scoured the conversations taking place on Scream Bitch, analysing every word for clues that might reveal 666 Devil’s whereabouts. But as time dragged on, little progress was made. Speaking to the televised series Prime Suspect: Hunting the Predators, NCA branch commander
53:40 Speaker 00 Matthew Long recalled the crushing sense of hopelessness investigators felt each time they ended their shifts without finding the girl. Quote, “I remember driving home and feeling an unbelievable pressure that it was Wednesday going into Thursday. There was a possibility that a child might die on Friday.” As the deadline loomed, the NCA exhausted every available avenue to try and identify the little girl. Senior investigating officer Matt Sutton told Prime Suspect, “It’s hard to go home and you haven’t safeguarded that child because you know that while you’re sleeping,
54:23 Speaker 00 that child could be being tortured.” Meanwhile, on Scream Bitch, Hell Week had commenced. 666 Devil provided his cheering sycophants with the daily updates about the horrific acts he was committing. The situation grew even more dire when it became evident that 666 Devil posed a threat to other children in his life. When Halloween approached, he described how he intended to lace sweets with screws, nails, and even human excrement before handing them out to unsuspecting trick-or-treaters. He even hinted at inviting them inside to “play”.
55:08 Speaker 00 Clinical and forensic psychologist Kirsty Low read the alarming exchanges between 666 Devil and his peers to help create a suspect profile. The messages left her stunned. She told prime suspect: “How could people really be thinking like this? The cruelty, the absolute cruelty of just not caring at all about what they were talking about.” These were people’s lives, and he didn’t care. You had kids who were just caught in this absolute hell.
55:47 Speaker 00 Based on his online presence, Kirsty believed that in real life, 666 Devil was likely a fairly ineffectual individual who spent a lot of time on the computer, wasn’t very sociable, and didn’t really fit into society.
56:04 Speaker 00 Yet, with no worthwhile leads emerging, the NCA could do little else but quietly monitor the dark web, waiting for clues.
56:14 Speaker 00 They meticulously searched for even the smallest mistake 666 Devil might have made that could help unravel him, but he never slipped up. His discipline was extreme, his awareness hyper-focused on avoiding doing anything online that might leave a trail.
56:36 Speaker 00 Then, word of a troubling Facebook post reached the NCA. It was written by a 16-year-old girl from southern England named Tessa Dorsey. She described an incident from months earlier when she had posted an ad for babysitting work on Gumtree. She received a message from someone claiming to be an artist named Liz Candell, the false identity knowingly used by 666 Devil to prey upon his victims.
57:07 Speaker 00 Tessa's Facebook post, which warned others that Liz was a predator, prompted the NCA to reach out. Through this connection, they uncovered an email address 666 Devil had used under the guise of Liz Candell to interact with Tessa. It was a SafeMail account, a highly secure platform designed to protect users' identities. It did so by masking their IP addresses, the unique identifiers assigned by internet service providers to pinpoint a device's network location in the real world. While this prevented the NCA from pinpointing 666 Devil's exact whereabouts,
57:51 Speaker 00 they turned to Gumtree for assistance, hoping the company had records of Liz Candell's interactions on the site. The Liz Candell SafeMail account was traced to what initially appeared to be an innocuous interaction with another Gumtree user based in the UK. They had posted an ad seeking a particular type of doll for their daughter. Posed as Liz, 666 Devil responded to the ad, claiming to have the exact doll and offering to give it away for free, on one condition.
58:28 Speaker 00 The message read: "Can I just ask one thing? I want to be 100% sure the doll really is going to the little girl, rather than a sneaky adult collector. And I also want to be able to show my friend who gave it to me that it is appreciated. Could you take a picture of your daughter holding a sign which says 'I heart SB'? Hopefully that makes sense. Is that okay? Liz."
59:00 Speaker 00 As it turned out, the photograph 666 Devil had been parading around the dark web as his daughter was, in reality, an innocent image sent to him by an unsuspecting mother from Gumtree. She had interacted with Liz Candell and, believing the exchange to be genuine, had provided the photo as requested.
59:24 Speaker 00 Within half an hour, 666 Devil had posted the image on the dark web, claiming it was of his daughter. In truth, the entire narrative he had woven on Scream Bitch about abusing his daughter and his ominous Hell Week plans was nothing more than a grotesque fabrication.
59:46 Speaker 00 The discovery came as a major relief to investigators, but they were determined to find the girl to ensure she was safe. The NCA obtained the residential address of the woman seeking the doll, and an agent, accompanied by a social worker, proceeded to visit her home.
1:00:05 Speaker 00 When they knocked on the door and identified themselves, the woman immediately said: “I know why you’re here, and I want you to come in.”
1:00:18 Speaker 00 Inside, the investigator and social worker found the little girl from the photograph and confirmed she was unharmed and had no real-world connection to 666 Devil. The child was sent upstairs while her mother was interviewed, visibly devastated by what had occurred.
1:00:38 Speaker 00 She recounted her online encounter with Liz Candell. After their initial exchange, Liz had privately messaged her, asking for more pictures of her daughter. That was when her suspicion grew, prompting her to report Liz to Gumtree.
1:00:57 Speaker 00 The realization that an online predator had coerced a photo of her daughter left the woman deeply shaken and physically ill. She was too distraught to work and couldn't bear to let her daughter out of her sight.
1:01:12 Speaker 00 "I feel as if I failed my daughter massively by being too trusting," she later said. "It's my job as her mum to protect her, and I put her in danger. That will never go away. I have to live with that guilt and struggle with it for the rest of my life."
1:01:33 Speaker 00 While the NCA had successfully identified and safeguarded the girl, they were still no closer to finding 666 Devil. As their investigation deepened, countless reports surfaced describing harrowing encounters that perfectly matched his MO. He used many different accounts, usernames and email addresses to avoid detection.
1:01:59 Speaker 00 Sometimes, instead of Liz Candell, he posed as women named Jess or Shona, but the pattern of manipulation and abuse remained consistent.
1:02:11 Speaker 00 The path forward proved to be more daunting than investigators could have imagined. NCA Branch Commander Matthew Long told Prime Suspect: "The more we investigated, the more we found. What started to unravel in front of me very quickly was a volume of children who had been abused which was bordering on unprecedented. We realized how determined, how dangerous, and how the offenders were prepared to go to any lengths to exploit children."
1:02:46 Speaker 00 The impact 666 Devil had was crushing. The abuse one victim was subjected to resulted in her developing a cult-like following on the dark web. The frenzied interest fueled 666 Devil's cruelty, driving the victim into a severe mental health crisis that left her hospitalized after a suicide attempt.
1:03:10 Speaker 00 She informed 666 Devil, hoping for mercy. Instead, he callously updated her online fanbase.
1:03:20 Speaker 00 Thinking of just betraying her as harshly as I can to see how much I can mentally fuck her up, I think there's even a bit of chance of suicide. I am not sure I care if she lives or dies.
1:03:37 Speaker 00 Any hope the victim had that 666 Devil would take pity on her was quickly dashed. Even as she lay in a hospital bed recovering, he continued to demand more images.
1:03:51 Speaker 00 Speaking about this incident for prime suspect, NCA Branch Commander Matthew Long said: “That victim is having a bad run in life”, and his reaction was: “Great, let's see if I can make them worse. Let me see if I can give them more pain.”
1:04:13 Speaker 00 While other cyber criminals the NCA had dealt with had motivations they could fathom, such as money, passion, hate, or revenge, 666 Devil’s sole motivation was to inflict pain on others. In online discussions about things he wanted to see at least once in his life, he listed: “A young girl being used as a dartboard”, “A video of a child’s bones being slowly and deliberately broken”, and “The abuse of a disabled child”.
1:04:48 Speaker 00 The more the NCA observed 666 Devil, the more their personal hatred for him grew. Operation Cacam soon became the largest online manhunt the agency had ever faced. Yet, the investigation was hampered by a fundamental problem: The internet itself was the crime scene, devoid of physical, biological, or trace evidence to guide their search. The dark web’s vast international scale made mapping the web of destruction immensely demanding in terms of time and resources.
1:05:27 Speaker 00 With many traditional investigative techniques rendered useless, the police were forced to develop more creative and sophisticated methods to uncover critical information.
1:05:39 Speaker 00 They employed language analysis and behavioural science to gain deeper insight into 666 Devil's personality. Undercover officers infiltrated Screen Bitch posing as paedophiles to interact with him directly. Digital experts worked tirelessly to penetrate the site's multiple layers of heavy encryption. All the while, investigators continuously sharpened their IT skills, striving to get one step ahead of him. An NCA officer likened the investigation to a maddening game of chess.
1:06:18 Speaker 00 Far from discouraged, the NCA expanded its reach and effectiveness by partnering with the US Department of Homeland Security, the Australian Federal Police, Europol, and other international agencies.
1:06:33 Speaker 00 Meanwhile, more victims came forward and were being identified, including one who had been under 666 Devil's influence for over a year. A specialised support team was established to help them all.
1:06:49 Speaker 00 For many, it was the first time they had openly discussed the abuse they endured. Though it was painful, it allowed them to reclaim their power, break free from their tormentor's control, and finally cease contact.
1:07:05 Speaker 00 The victims also provided the NCA access to their online accounts and digital devices, enabling investigators to gather more intelligence by communicating with 666 Devil under the guise of one of his victims. Despite these efforts, 666 Devil remained at large, hiding in plain sight. His ability to outsmart authorities and evade capture only fuelled his arrogance.
1:07:36 Speaker 00 He continued preying on new victims, gloating online. "I am completely untraceable."
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1:10:54 Speaker 00 At around 4:30pm on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, four years into Operation Kakam, plainclothes and CIA agents arrived unannounced at the prestigious University of Birmingham in England's central west. They headed straight to a faculty member's office and swiftly seized multiple digital devices. To protect their investigative methods for future use, the NCA has not publicly disclosed exactly how they obtained the critical intelligence that led them to this historic moment. They admitted that it began with a tiny but vital lead that eventually pinpointed an
1:11:36 Speaker 00 IP address linked to a UK residence and, most importantly, a name: Matthew Foldo.
1:11:45 Speaker 00 Identifying 28-year-old Matthew Folda as their prime suspect had allowed Operation Cacam to liberate itself from the tangled digital maze of encryption, aliases, and anonymity that favoured 666 Devil. With the investigation shifting into the real world, the NCA held the upper hand, and the possibility of making an arrest strengthened the team's resolve to see their mentally and emotionally draining operation through to the end.
1:12:18 Speaker 00 Their first step had been to covertly surveil Folda to determine whether the timings of his online activity matched 666 Devil's, while also identifying the devices he used. By monitoring Folda, the NCA knew he could continue harming others online, but if they moved too quickly, they risked their opportunity to gather critical evidence. Moving too slowly carried its own dangers, too. Folda's victims had suddenly begun cutting contact en masse. If he sensed they'd sought help from the police or that something was going on behind the scenes, he could start destroying evidence.
1:13:03 Speaker 00 It was a delicate balance, the resulting nervous anticipation in the NCA office likened to a brewing storm.
1:13:14 Speaker 00 It took three months of surveillance before the NCA were prepared to make their move.
1:13:21 Speaker 00 Eight years after 666 Devil was first detected on the dark web, agents arrived at the University of Birmingham, where Matthew Folda worked as a geophysics lecturer while completing post-doctoral research. Folda watched on in frantic bewilderment as his office was raided, shaking his head in disbelief.
1:13:44 Speaker 00 The unfolding chaos rendered him speechless. When he did speak, his words were stuttered, as though he was desperately trying to figure out how the police had managed to track him down.
1:13:58 Speaker 00 To psychologist Kirsty Lowe, Folder's stunned reaction was a striking portrayal of his separate online and offline realities crashing together in a way he never believed possible. Speaking to prime suspect, an NCA intelligence officer remarked with a wry smile: "I take a great satisfaction in the fact that I still don't think he knows how we did it."
1:14:27 Speaker 00 After being placed in handcuffs, Folder stammered: "So what was it that I've done?" The agents listed the charges he was suspected of: blackmail, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, possessing and distributing indecent images of children, and causing grievous bodily harm. Folder responded with a nervous attempt at humour, calling it "the rap sheet from hell."
1:14:58 Speaker 00 Matthew Folder, much like Matthew Graham, also known as Lux before him, embodied the unsettling truth about online predators: they often defied expectations. As NCA senior investigating officer Matt Sutton told prime suspect: "You always have some form of idea of who you think you're looking for. It never ends up being right."
1:15:27 Speaker 00 Far from fitting the stereotype of a dangerous, disturbed, or depraved individual, Folder appeared remarkably ordinary.
1:15:37 Speaker 00 He was a young, highly intelligent, and well-respected academic who had graduated from the esteemed University of Cambridge, specialising in seismic oceanography, and earning both masters and doctoral degrees.
1:15:52 Speaker 00 Raised in a wealthy, supportive family with no history of abuse, he had excelled academically from a young age, with one of his tutors stating he was "one of the finest students he ever had."
1:16:06 Speaker 00 Unlike the socially anxious and reclusive Lux, Folda was popular and extroverted. He maintained a long-term romantic relationship and had an active social life with a vast network of friends and associates.
1:16:22 Speaker 00 His peers described him as “larger-than-life” with the dynamic “social magnetism” due to his likeable personality and sense of humour. His social media accounts were filled with selfies and revealed a love of dinosaurs, baking, table tennis, crosswords, and 3D printing. With no prior history with the police and a seemingly spotless reputation, Matthew Folda was viewed as a trustworthy figure. The only hint of his online activities was his exceptional skill with computers and a query on his Twitter feed where he once asked his followers “how to put nice quality videos online”.
1:17:09 Speaker 00 As Folda was taken into custody for questioning, investigators established a crime scene at his flat in nearby Edgbaston.
1:17:19 Speaker 00 The residence was described as a “squalid lair” with clothes, food containers, and other clutter strewn about. In a living space behind a red couch and near a washer and dryer pushed into a corner, stood Folda’s desk and computer. The desk itself was as chaotic as the rest of the flat, covered in cords, lamps, stationery, and wine glasses. The computer was on, displaying the desktop screen.
1:17:51 Speaker 00 Forensic examination of the device uncovered Matthew Folda’s disturbing dark web haul of nearly 14,000 indecent images and 1,251 videos of children and other victims from around the world.
1:18:07 Speaker 00 Among the collection was a video depicting the sexual assault of a newborn baby, as well as a so-called “pedophile manual” that provided instructions on how to carry out child sexual abuse and not be detected by police.
1:18:23 Speaker 00 Hidden underneath the mattress on Folda's bed, police found a worn 12-year-old laptop with its battery removed.
1:18:32 Speaker 00 A small square of paper had been taped over the webcam above the screen. The device had been heavily encrypted, preventing easy access.
1:18:44 Speaker 00 It took time, but experts eventually broke in and found the evidence they were after. On the laptop, Folda had meticulously cataloged all of his blackmail victims. The overwhelming collection of material provided a complete picture of the seriousness and scale of his offences. Even more shocking, the laptop revealed a history of crimes Folda had committed that police were unaware of.
1:19:15 Speaker 00 666 Devil was a virtual predator who targeted unknown victims in a hands-off manner, driven by inflicting pain and suffering. But the truth about Matthew Folda was even more sinister. Footage uncovered on his laptop revealed that he had installed hidden cameras to film unsuspecting women he knew in real life as they changed clothes or showered.
1:19:43 Speaker 00 These crimes dated back to 2007, when he secretly recorded other students in a bathroom while studying at Cambridge University. In total, these violations occurred at eight different locations and involved 13 victims.
1:20:04 Speaker 00 Before Folda's arrest, police had evidence to support 30 to 40 charges. But, after the seizure of his devices, that number more than quadrupled.
1:20:17 Speaker 00 In the UK, police have just 24 hours to present the alleged crime to the suspect, obtain their account, and consult with the Crown Prosecution Service to lay official charges. If the deadline is reached before any charges are laid, the suspect is free to go.
1:20:37 Speaker 00 After being granted his right to consult with a solicitor, Matthew Folda was led into an interview room. With the 24-hour countdown underway, NCA Lead Interviewing Officer Jane Lawrenson began questioning Folda. Although she had seen pictures of Folda beforehand, seeing him face-to-face highlighted just how normal he seemed. To Officer Lawrenson, Folda looked like a regular person you would walk past on the street without taking a second glance at. But in the interview room, Folda was notably tense. He sat with his arms crossed tightly across his chest
1:21:21 Speaker 00 and eyes fixed straight ahead. He answered every question with a deadpan “no comment” response, refusing to elaborate on any of his alleged offences. When Officer Lawrenson listed the evidence uncovered on Folda’s devices, she asked him: “What else is there, Matthew? This is your opportunity to tell us now. Are we going to find anything else that you’ve made people do or that you’re in possession of?”
1:21:53 Speaker 00 Folda continued to repeat “no comment” over and over.
1:21:59 Speaker 00 When Officer Lawrenson went to leave the interview room for a break, Folda did something that no other suspect had ever done before. He apologised for not answering her questions, acknowledging it must be tough for her. At this stage, the police went to court to get an extension on their 24-hour deadline while Folda waited in the back of a police car with Officer Lawrenson. She asked him how he was doing. Folda raised his hand as if holding something small and round, and replied: “Imagine a green juicy apple that looks lovely, but inside, it is a worm.”
1:22:47 Speaker 00 At Folders’ next police interview, he appeared smug as his solicitor delivered a prepared statement. He was willing to admit to operating a dark web account under the username EvilMind4. Although this wasn’t the 666 Devil account central to the case, it was a crucial revelation. Unbeknownst to Folders, the NCA had already linked EvilMind4 to 666 Devil during Operation Cacam, proving they were the same person.
1:23:23 Speaker 00 They also connected EvilMind4 to 70 other dark web aliases, including In The Garden, one of the 16 exclusive members of Hurt To The Cause’ producers lounge before its closure. Folders’ confession confirmed all these accounts as his, directly tying him to the related crimes.
1:23:47 Speaker 00 Authorities believed he had victimized upwards of 300 people.
1:23:53 Speaker 00 Matthew Folders avoided a trial by ultimately pleading guilty to 137 of 188 potential charges, including paedophilia, blackmail, and voyeurism.
1:24:07 Speaker 00 This admission cemented his status as one of the UK’s most prolific paedophiles. It took 35 minutes to read out all the charges against him during his sentencing hearing in October 2017.
1:24:24 Speaker 00 In a UK first, the court acknowledged the impact of online offending by allowing several of Folders’ victim impact statements to be read aloud.
1:24:35 Speaker 00 They thought about what Folders had done to them every single day and feared they would never recover from the damage he had caused.
1:24:44 Speaker 00 Some were terrified of meeting or trusting new people. Others had been estranged by friends and family who couldn’t understand their actions and were left to view themselves as “dirty, like used goods”. The court noted that many of Folders’ victims would never have the chance to share their stories because they had been only babies at the time of the abuse.
1:25:13 Speaker 00 The sentencing judge described Folders' crimes as a tale of ever-increasing depravity, in which his behaviour was cunning, persistent, manipulative and cruel. They stated: "Time and time again, people begged you to stop. Time and time again, you ramped up the pressure. You wanted to assume total control over these victims."
1:25:41 Speaker 00 Marking the first UK prosecution related to sadistic hurtcore material found on the dark web, Matthew Folders was sentenced to 32 years in prison, followed by 6 years on licence. This meant that after his release, he would serve the remainder of his sentence under strict conditions in the community, aimed at ensuring successful reintegration.
1:26:07 Speaker 00 It was the longest prison sentence ever handed down to an online predator in the UK.
1:26:14 Speaker 00 As Folders' 30th birthday approached in October 2018, he appealed his sentence, arguing it was manifestly excessive given that he had pleaded guilty.
1:26:27 Speaker 00 After reviewing the case, three judges at London's Court of Appeal concluded that the original sentencing judge had not given sufficient regard to totality. To ensure a just and proper punishment for the severity of his crimes, the Court of Appeal reduced Folders' prison sentence to 25 years, but increased his on-licence period to 8 years. The outcome was disappointing to the investigators who had spent years tirelessly working to bring Folders to justice.
1:27:01 Speaker 00 NCA branch commander Matthew Long told Prime Suspect: "I hope he never sees the light of day because of what he did to people. But, that's not my decision."
1:27:18 Speaker 00 Although virtual sexual offending like Matthew Folders is non-contact, its psychological impact on victims is no less devastating. The pervasive nature of the internet leaves victims feeling that no part of their lives is safe, not their bedrooms, their homes, or even their mobile phones. This constant fear isolates them, leaving them feeling like there's no one they can turn to for help. One of Folders' victims explained: "At school, I wasn't talking to my friends or thinking about what they were saying. I was just checking my phone to see if there was another message. I couldn't concentrate on anything.
1:28:04 Speaker 00 I couldn't talk to my family because I felt ashamed of what I was doing. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't want to go out with my friends because he might be there. I didn't feel safe anywhere. Even if he was standing next to me in the street, I wouldn't recognise them. That's what was scary, not knowing who it was or when they might get bored and send the pictures to all of my friends anyway."
1:28:34 Speaker 00 This type of sexual exploitation falls under the title of "sextortion", offending that employs non-physical forms of coercion to extort sexual favors from the victim. With the rise of the internet, sextortion is becoming increasingly common, but the NCA believes it is significantly under-reported due to the shame associated with it. In many cases, victims end up taking their own lives.
1:29:06 Speaker 00 Senior investigating officer Matt Sutton told Prime Suspect: "No one is immune to being approached by somebody who's trying to exploit them in some way, shape or form, whether it be for sexual gratification, for money, for anything. Make sure that you know who you're talking to and you're happy to share whatever they're asking for with that person. If you wouldn't share it with your mother, don't put it online because it means it's something that can be used against you and it's something that you will only ever live to learn to regret."
1:29:44 Speaker 00 The illicit dark web forums and websites featured in this case file episode are now defunct, though many others like them remain active or are created every day. Law enforcement officers within the National Crime Agency who helped bring down Matthew Folda likened their efforts to dismantle online pedophile networks to warfare. Both sides are constantly developing new tactics, each striving to gain the upper hand. Despite the seemingly endless battle, the NCA and their allies worldwide refuse to surrender. In the words of NCA Branch Commander Matthew Long:
1:30:28 Speaker 00 “For us, this has been a relentless pursuit to catch Dr Matthew Folda. But what saddened me is his relentless pursuit of the victims. He would stop at nothing to exploit them, to make them feel sad, humiliated, or unhappy, and he didn’t really care in any way, shape, or form how that manifested. Ultimately, that has devastated some people’s lives, and I am very proud of our team and also those victims being able to stand up and stop him.” Matthew Folda will be eligible for release in 2043 at the age of 50.
1:31:12 Speaker 00 In her interview with Prime Suspect, NCA Lead Interviewing Officer Jane Lawrenson reflected on his potential for rehabilitation. “Matthew Folda, will we see him again?” she asked herself. After a moment of quiet contemplation, she admitted: “I don’t know. To see what he’s seen and done what he’s done, how can you change so dramatically? I don’t know. I don’t know.”
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