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Hoaxed

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In 2014, two children told police a shocking story that set in motion a dramatic chain of events.

The pair said they were being abused by a Satanic cult; a cult headed by their father and by parents and teachers at their school in the wealthy London suburb of Hampstead.

Their accusations stirred up memories of the “Satanic Panic” in the ’70s and ’80s, when rumours of devil-worshipping cults kidnapping and murdering ordinary members of the public were rife. Like a lot of moral panics, these rumours were mostly nonsense.

And so it was in Hampstead. The story was a lie – but on the internet, the truth didn’t really matter.

Hoaxed, by Tortoise Media, is an investigation into one of Britain’s most serious-ever conspiracy theories.

This is the story of a modernday Satanic Panic; about the victims whose lives were destroyed and about the conspiracists who spread the lie around the world.

Oh, and it’s about our hunt for the perpetrators – the people who forced the kids to lie – the ones who started it all.

The lies were challenged by an unassuming mystery novelist who stood up to the internet mob.

If you’re a fan of the podcast Sweet Bobby, about a woman who was fooled into an online relationship with her own cousin, you’ll recognise the name Alexi Mostrous. He’s responsible for Hoaxed and the investigation into what boiled down to a mum with a grudge.

“What this story illustrates is how easily modern conspiracies spread, as well as the failure of the police and the social media giants to crack down on them,” said Mostrous.

“More worryingly still, it shows how quickly online threats can bleed over into real-world harm.”