Unseen Footage of Paedophile Matthew Falder's Arrest to be Shown in New Documentary

Image credits: PA

Matthew Falder, a 29-year-old paedophile, admitted to 137 offences, including voyeurism, encouraging child rape, and sharing images showing the abuse of a newborn baby, after being caught by an international inquiry led by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The investigation, which lasted for nearly four years, involved over 100 officers and was one of the largest online manhunts in the NCA's history. Falder, who was a respected university researcher and lecturer at Birmingham University, was found to have committed his offences over nearly 10 years, manipulating victims "behind a computer screen" by duping them into providing nude images and personal details.

The arrest of Falder was a significant breakthrough in the case, and unseen bodycam footage of the moment NCA investigators arrested him will be shown to the public for the first time as part of a new documentary, Prime Suspect: Hunting The Predators. The documentary will also feature interviews with investigating officers, surveillance footage, and examples of Falder's vile online messages, revealing the shocking details of his crimes and the investigation that led to his capture. Falder's victims were targeted through various online platforms, including social media, gaming platforms, and messaging apps, and were manipulated into sending him humiliating images, which he would then use to blackmail them.

The investigation into Falder's activities began in 2015, when a man on the dark web with the username 666Devil posted a photo of a child, claiming to be his daughter, and asked others online to suggest what abuse they'd like him to inflict on her during a "week of hell". The NCA immediately launched an investigation to identify and protect the child, and Senior Investigating Officer Matt Sutton headed up the team that managed to uncover that 666Devil pretended to be an artist called Liz and targeted hundreds of young victims over the internet, before blackmailing them for sexually degrading videos. The team made a breakthrough when they unmasked 666Devil as Falder, and he was subsequently arrested and charged with 137 offences against 46 victims.

Falder's case is a prime example of the dark web and its potential for facilitating child abuse and blackmail. The case highlights the importance of international cooperation and the need for law enforcement agencies to be proactive in targeting and prosecuting online predators. The documentary, Prime Suspect: Hunting The Predators, will provide a unique insight into the investigation and the tactics used by the NCA to catch Falder, and will serve as a warning to others who may be engaging in similar activities online. The documentary will also feature never-before-seen archive footage of Falder's police interview, as well as devices seized from his bedroom, which contained nearly 14,000 indecent images of children and 1,251 videos of children from around the world.

The list of offences committed by Falder includes: * 137 offences against 46 victims * Voyeurism * Encouraging child rape * Sharing images showing the abuse of a newborn baby * Blackmailing victims into sending humiliating images * Targeting hundreds of young victims over the internet * Possessing nearly 14,000 indecent images of children and 1,251 videos of children from around the world. Falder's sentence was initially 32 years, but it was reduced to 25 years upon appeal. The documentary, Prime Suspect: Hunting The Predators, will be available to watch on Channel 5, providing a unique insight into the investigation and the tactics used by the NCA to catch Falder.