Falder preyed on kids on sites including Gumtree by blackmailing them into sending explicit images of themselves, which he then distributed on the dark web
MONSTER Matthew Falder is one of the UK's most prolific and sadistic paedophiles.
Here's everything we know about the Cambridge University-educated scientist who has admitted more than 130 offences and was imprisoned for 32 years in 2018.
When his offending began in 2010, Matthew Falder was a student at Cambridge University.
A spokesperson from the prestigious university said in a statement that it was "shocked and saddened" by the case.
The statement added: "Our thoughts are with the victims of these awful crimes and with their families, who have no doubt been deeply affected by this."
Falder had been a postdoctoral researcher at Birmingham University before his arrest on June 21 in 2017.
His father Stephen Falder told Sky News: "This has turned our lives upside down.
"It came as a complete shock and the family is totally devastated."
Falder pleaded guilty to 137 offences against 46 victims.
His offending went unnoticed for eight years.
The shamed scientist preyed on victims via Gumtree and other sites by pretending to be a woman and blackmailing them.
He persuaded vulnerable users into sending naked or partially clothed self-images, which he shared on the dark web after moving them off Gumtree.
Further images that Falder possessed included photographs showing children and babies being tortured, the court was told.
He humiliated more than 50 youngsters online using the names "666devil" and "evil mind".
Sick Falder threatened to expose them if they didn't comply, leaving some so traumatised they harmed themselves.
His disgusting campaign of abuse was rumbled when spies from GCHQ unmasked him.
It emerged he also set up secret cameras to film people he knew in the shower.
This has turned our lives upside down. It came as a complete shock and the family is totally devastated
Stephen Falder
He was the first to be snared under the National Crime Agency's (NCA) "hurt core" offending — hidden web forums dedicated to the discussion and sharing of "dark" matter.
Matt Sutton, a senior investigating officer at the NCA, added: "In 30 years of law enforcement I have never come across such horrifying offending where the offender's sole aim was to cause such pain and distress.
"There are more than 50 victims in this case and I commend them for their bravery in helping us convict a truly evil offender.
"It has been an extremely complex investigation into a prolific online predator, who over several years believed he could evade law enforcement to sexually and sadistically exploit vulnerable victims."
Sentencing Falder to 32 years behind bars in February 2018, Judge Philip Parker QC said: "As for your equally extraordinary sexual offending — no one who knew you above ground had an inkling of what you were doing below the surface."
"You wanted to assume total control over your victims.
"Your behaviour was cunning, persistent, manipulative and cruel."
For the victims, he said: "The damage is ongoing for these individuals it will never end, knowing the abuse caused by you still exists in other unknown persons' computers."
A spokesperson for Gumtree said: “We welcome the conviction of Matthew Falder for his appalling offences.
“Our dedicated safety team has been working with the NCA in its investigation of this case for several years.
“We take the safety of our users extremely seriously and are committed to making the site as safe as possible.
“We list prominent safety advice on every ad on our website, a summary of which can be found on our dedicated Safety Advice Page.”
In October 2018, Falder’s sentence was reduced from 32 to 25 years at London's Court of Appeal after lawyers challenged his "manifestly excessive" sentence.
The sickening case of Dr Matthew Falder is the focus of an episode in a new true crime documentary series.
Prime Suspect: Hunting The Predators provides an unprecedented look behind the scenes of the NCA’s investigations into the darkest corners of online child exploitation.
The episode featuring Falder's case airs at 9pm on Wednesday, February 26 on Channel 5.
It will follow investigators on a manhunt which began four years earlier, as Senior Investigating Officer Matt Sutton and a wider team tracks down ‘’666Devil’’.
Unseen body camera footage will also show the moment NCA investigators arrest Falder and read him the horrific list of sexual charges, to which he responds, “It sounds like the rap sheet from hell.”
