A “truly evil” Cambridge University graduate has pleaded guilty to 137 online sexual abuse crimes, including encouraging the rape of a toddler and blackmailing scores of young victims.



Matthew Falder, 28, admitted offences against more than 50 victims on Monday at Birmingham crown court.

The geophysicist posed as a woman on sites such as Gumtree to trick dozens of people into sending him explicit images of themselves. He then threatened to expose his victims if they did not send severe and depraved abuse images of themselves, including some that showed babies and children being tortured.

Falder shared many of the photos on sexual abuse forums hidden on the darknet, were he used the monikers “666devil” and “evilmind”.

He targeted his victims for at least eight years and was unmasked after a two-year investigation by the National Crime Agency and with assistance from specialists at GCHQ, the government’s surveillance agency.



His victims were girls, boys, women and men, and some were so traumatised they self-harmed or attempted suicide.

Falder, who worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Birmingham University, faces life in prison when he is sentenced on 7 December.

He was arrested on 21 June at the university after a long investigation by the National Crime Agency.

Matt Sutton, the NCA senior investigating officer, said: “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.”

Detectives found that Falder had set up secret cameras to spy on people in compromising situations, but inadvertently filmed himself setting up the devices.

He reportedly grew up in a wealthy part of Cheshire before studying at Cambridge University between 2007 and 2016. His father, Stephen Falder, was quoted as telling Sky News: “This has turned our lives upside down. It came as a complete shock and the family is totally devastated.”

Ruona Iguyovwe from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Matthew Falder is a highly manipulative individual who used his knowledge of computers and the internet to persuade dozens of young people to supply him with degrading images he could distribute online and subsequently use in blackmailing them.

“He clearly enjoyed humiliating his victims and the impact of his offending, which carried on over several years, has been significant.”

Cambridge University said it was offering support to anyone affected by the case.

“The university is deeply shocked and saddened. Our thoughts are with the victims of these awful crimes and with their families, who have no doubt been deeply affected by this,” a spokesman said.

Falder is believed to have studied natural sciences at Cambridge before completing a master’s in seismic imaging, a method of exploring geophysics.

He went on to gain a PhD in seismic oceanography from Cambridge before joining Birmingham University as a postdoctoral researcher.

A spokesman for Birmingham University said: “The university is shocked to hear of the abhorrent crimes committed by a former postdoctoral researcher. We have no reason to believe that the offences are in any way connected with the university.”

A spokesman for Gumtree said it had supported the NCA investigation and would continue to work with investigators “to eliminate this type of activity from our site”.

“We are pleased to see the perpetrator of these appalling offences brought to justice. Gumtree simply does not tolerate the exploitation of users or the illegal misuse of our platform,” he said.