UoB researcher pleads guilty for committing over 100 acts of online sexual abuse crimes

He is being labelled one of the UK’s worst sex offenders


Cambridge university graduate and UoB Phd researcher, Matthew Falder, 28, has pleaded guilty to 137 online sexual abuse crimes. This includes encouraging the rape of a toddler and blackmailing scores of young victims.

Falder was arrested at the University of Birmingham, where he worked, on June 21st, 2017 after a long investigation by the National Crime Agency.

The geophysicist posed as a woman on sites such as Gumtree to trick dozens of people into sending him explicit images of themselves. He has also pleaded guilty to causing the sexual exploitation of a child, voyeurism, making and distributing indecent images of children and encouraging the rape of a four-year-old.

A spokesman for the University of Birmingham 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 to the university."

UoB sent out an email to all Geography students on Tuesday morning and said: "We recognise that people will react to this dificult news in different ways. Should anybody feel that they need support then information about how to access this is available. The School and College welfare officers can also direct support as appropriate."

Falder, of Edgbaston, Birmingham, was remanded into custody until December 7th, when he will be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court.