Paedophile fitted secret cameras in toilets for 'sexual gratification'

A prolific paedophile who encouraged the rape of a two-year-old boy fitted secret cameras in a public toilet for "sexual gratification", a court heard.

Dr Matthew Falder has already admitted 137 offences against 46 victims, male and female, blackmailing one into licking toilet seats, a used tampon, and eating dog food.

When police arrested Cambridge graduate Falder and reeled off the offences, he quipped it sounded "like the rap-sheet from hell".

The former Birmingham University geophysics researcher, also traded vile and depraved indecent images and videos online with a father, for images of him raping and torturing his young son.

On another occasion, Falder told the male, who cannot be identified for legal reasons: "I am really looking forward to this evening's pictures."

On Thursday, Birmingham Crown Court also heard how Falder placed covert devices in washrooms, and fitted cameras at his parents' Manchester house and their holiday home in Wales.

Falder then hacked one female victim's Facebook, posting part-naked images of her, taken from those clandestine recordings.

The 29-year-old, described as "arrogant" by one acquaintance, even once "joked" to her about having installed a secret camera.

Falder's offences spanned eight years of offending until 2017, when he was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

The court has continued to hear grim details of "predatory, serial offender" Falder, who blackmailed victims, sourcing and distributing images.

Prosecuting barrister, Ruona Iguyovwe, said: "Mr Falder had been recording people in the bathroom/shower at different locations and on different dates for the purpose of sexual gratification."

The Crown's counsel was also compelled to offer a "health warning" to the courtroom, such was the extreme and disturbing nature of the material being discussed.

The "highly manipulative" Falder often posed online as a depressed female artist seeking nudes of his victims, so he could draw them.

Falder, of Edgbaston, Birmingham, duped his vulnerable targets, including anorexia sufferers, into sending naked images.

He then shared images on websites known to be associated with paedophiles and those interested in "hurtcore" - material which depicts rape and abuse, while blackmailing his targets for more.

On the second day of sentencing, the court heard how he replied to a female babysitter's advert on Gumtree, posing as a genuine customer with a young daughter in a bid to extract the woman's views on "spanking" children.

Another teenage male was also contacted by Falder, under a pseudonym, about a babysitting role for his "daughter".

The Crown's barrister said in their online communication, Falder emailed and spoke of possible punishments for his fictional child, "putting her on a lead and with a dog collar, making her walk on all fours and to make sounds like a dog - feed her cat food from a dog bowl and make her sleep in a dog basket".

Falder, who hid behind pseudonyms and online personas like "Liz", "666devil" and "evilmind", said he would "add extra money to his wages", if he agreed.

He used anonymous email accounts and online connection software Tor, to cover his tracks.

On his arrest at his university office, Falder said: "If say I'm looking at adult materials, I do use Tor at home."

He added: "Somehow there must be crossed wires.

"Basically I didn't want my girlfriend looking at my history and seeing someone else's boobs."

Falder was only snared after an NCA-led investigation, with help from GCHQ, the United States Homeland Security Investigations, and law enforcement in Israel, Slovenia, Australia and New Zealand.

The sentencing hearing continues.