Matthew Falder: How a Global Taskforce Caught a Birmingham Paedophile
Falder set up cameras in the bathrooms of his family homes
In February 2018, university lecturer Matthew Falder was sentenced to 32 years in prison for a series of serious sexual offences committed largely through the dark web. His conviction marked the first UK prosecution linked to sadistic “hurtcore” material, following a four-year international investigation involving authorities from the UK, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Israel, and others.
At first glance, Falder appeared to be a successful academic. He was Cambridge-educated, employed as a university lecturer, and had an active social life. His public online presence showed ordinary interests such as baking, dinosaurs, table tennis, and technology.
Behind this public image, however, Falder operated anonymously on the dark web using multiple usernames. There, he shared child sexual abuse material and blackmailed victims into producing increasingly degrading images and videos. Investigators later said he appeared to derive pleasure from causing distress and humiliation.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimated Falder abused more than 50 confirmed victims between 2009 and 2017. He ultimately admitted to 137 offences out of 188 charges, including encouraging the rape of a child and possessing instructional material for paedophiles.
Senior law enforcement officials described Falder as one of the most dangerous and depraved offenders they had ever encountered.
The Investigation
The investigation began in the United States in 2013, when the FBI targeted dark web child exploitation networks. Investigators created covert monitoring tools on servers hosting offending sites, allowing them to observe activity within “hurtcore” communities — groups that shared extreme material involving abuse, torture, humiliation, and blackmail.
One such site, Hurt 2 The Core, was described by the NCA as “the world’s worst website.”
A user known as “Inthegarden” posted blackmail images of a teenage girl. Investigators traced the username to activity on the online marketplace Gumtree, where the offender posed as a depressed female artist to contact potential victims.
Using aliases such as Liz, Jess, and Shona, the suspect contacted individuals through at least 30 encrypted email accounts. He promised payment for images but never followed through. Once trust was established, he gathered personal information and moved conversations away from public platforms.
Victims were then blackmailed and threatened with exposure unless they complied with increasingly abusive demands. Some victims were children as young as 14. The material was later shared on dark web forums accessed by global abuse networks.
Falder also provided advice to other offenders on how to avoid detection, including avoiding direct payments and using vouchers instead.
Breakthrough
Falder’s computer was seized by officers who found information on it was heavily encrypted
In April 2015, investigators identified another username, “666devil,” posting extreme content and making claims about torturing a child during what he called “hell week.” Officers urgently worked to identify and protect the child shown in the profile image.
This led to the discovery that “Inthegarden,” “evilmind,” and “666devil” were operated by the same individual. By then, investigators believed the suspect had contacted more than 200 victims worldwide.
A dedicated international taskforce was formed, involving the NCA, GCHQ, Homeland Security Investigations, Europol, and law enforcement agencies in multiple countries. By March 2017, intelligence linked the suspect to an address in Birmingham.
Falder was placed under covert surveillance and monitored using his laptop while commuting. Despite boasting online that he would never be caught, he was arrested in June 2017 at his workplace, the University of Birmingham.
Arrest and Prosecution
During the arrest, Falder referred to the charges as a “rap sheet from hell.” His electronic devices were seized and revealed extensive encrypted data documenting years of abuse, dating back to when he was a student in 2009.
Police searches also uncovered earlier voyeurism offences across multiple locations. Falder’s home contained heavily encrypted computers and digital storage devices.
Following coordination between UK and US authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service decided to prosecute Falder in the UK. In October 2017, he pleaded guilty to 137 offences.
Authorities described the case as one of the most significant child exploitation prosecutions in UK history. An additional 51 charges remain on file.