In the shadows of the digital realm, where anonymity fuels malice, one man, Matthew Hardy, harnessed the power of the internet to inflict misery upon unsuspecting victims. A decade-long terror of this cyberstalker ruined the lives of countless innocent women. Now Netflix is gearing up to expose the harrowing saga in a two-part docuseries titled ‘Can I Tell You A Secret’.
Before the release, let us give you a little insight into the lives of those ruined by Britain’s notorious cyberstalker and his whereabouts in the present time.
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‘Can I Tell You A Secret’: Tale Of A Decade Long Cyberstalking Terror
In the late 2000s, when social media was in its infancy and making waves at every school and college a 17-year-old thought to make the most of it in the worst way, Matthew Hardy was your typical estranged, tired-of-school teenage boy who used the internet to ruin the lives of those he didn’t like. His early tactics involved unsettling claims of lies and betrayal directed at girls from nearby colleges.
He would text and call girls threatening to expose their secrets or just spread outright lies about them. While being a Cheshire resident, Hardy tortured countless victims digitally. As the digital landscape evolved over the years, so did Hardy’s audacity. His cyber harassment escalated into a multifaceted assault, involving explicit messages, pictures and fake accounts. Matthew’s victims, initially strangers, became intertwined in a web of torment, with some enduring lasting damage to personal and professional relationships.
Spanning the decade, Cheshire police were embroiled in over 100 contacts and ten arrests. Despite various restraining orders, Hardy continued his dangerous hobby of taking a stranger’s life off of the internet and making it hell. Exploiting the gaps in legal frameworks on cybercrime at the time, he never really faced the consequences.
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The Plight Of Matthew Hardy’s Victims
The Cheshire cyberbully expanded her region of torment later, the teenage dark bully started small. In the early years as a cyberbully, Matthew would target teenage girls. One of his initial victims was a former schoolmate who said she, “lost the plot. I went cr*zy. I accused someone at work of being him.” Another one told a newspaper at the time, “We all banded together and found out it was Hardy. Every time he messaged us, we’d say: ‘You’re Matthew Hardy, go away.” This made the Hardy move to people from other schools, colleges, and countries.
A 19-year-old girl got her personal and professional life ruined when Hardy sent intimate photos of her to her workplace. By making fake accounts and reaching out to her co-workers and family, he ruined relationships beyond repair. The scars of cyber violence lingered, leaving permanent damage in its wake.
His audacity reached new heights as he ruined the career of a well-respected doctor. Targeting a woman’s father-in-law he sent explicit messages to unsuspecting teenagers online in his name. This not only damaged his reputation as a doctor but also caused permanent damage to his private life.
How Matthew Hardy Escaped The Law For 10 Years
Matthew Hardy was first reported to the police in 2010, a few years later, there was another complaint with digital proofs. This resulted in Hardy getting a restraining order which he broke assuming nothing would happen and he was right. The next report was made in 2016 and this time there was some action from the law. He was questioned but no strong legal action was taken. Then in 2019, one of Metthew’s victim’s family took the help of a private investigator which also ended up being a lost cause as he received an official visit but was not convicted.
Things looked up in Matthew Hardy’s case when Cheshire’s PC Kevin Anderson took it upon himself to solve the cyber problem once and for all. He found over 100 complaints from 62 victims in the town of Cheshire alone. “I can’t speak for the officers that were speaking to the victims at that time. People maybe didn’t understand what was happening to the victims, or understand the legislation,” said Anderson.
The final chapter of Hardy’s exploitation culminated with his arrest in October 2021, leading to a nine-year prison sentence in January 2022. The sentencing made national news, yet the story didn’t quite reach the world. The true extent of his crimes finally gained widespread exposure through The Guardian‘s podcast series in September 2022.
Netflix’s Investigative Spotlight On The Case With ‘Can I Tell You A Secret?’
Netflix’s ‘Can I Tell You A Secret‘ promises an in-depth exploration of Hardy’s crimes, focusing on the narratives of three victims. Through interviews with Cheshire police officer Kevin Anderson, journalist Sirin Kale, and a school friend of Hardy. The docuseries aims to unravel the enigma surrounding Britain’s most prolific cyberstalker. The series is to premiere on the streaming platform on February 21.
Prepare to be captivated by the shocking revelations and the untold story of Matthew Hardy, a name that will forever be etched in the annals of cyber-infamy.
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