Channel 5’s new true crime series, Prime Suspect: Hunting the Predators, offers a chilling look into the work of the National Crime Agency (NCA) as they pursue online predators. The premiere episode focuses on the disturbing case of Matthew Falder, a seemingly respectable university researcher and lecturer leading a double life. The episode doesn’t just recount the facts; it uses NCA surveillance footage to build a sense of unease, showing Falder in his everyday life, juxtaposed with the knowledge of his hidden crimes.
Falder, operating under the sinister online alias “666Devil,” preyed on vulnerable individuals across the globe, amassing a horrifying collection of over 14,000 indecent images and 1,251 videos of children. He manipulated and abused his victims, boasting of his supposed untouchability.
The series doesn’t sensationalize; instead, it uses the stark reality of the footage to underscore the gravity of Falder’s actions. Bodycam footage of his eventual arrest adds a further layer of tension to the narrative, capturing the moment his carefully constructed facade crumbles.
Prime Suspect aims to provide insight into the methods used by the NCA to track down these criminals. The series meticulously outlines the painstaking process of gathering evidence and building a case against individuals like Falder who believe they operate beyond the reach of the law. The episode leaves the audience with a sense of both relief at Falder’s capture and disquiet at the lurking dangers of online predation.
Prime Suspect: Hunting the Predators airs Wednesday, February 26, 2025, on Channel 5.
