Camilla Jessen
How one clue exposed years of exploitation.
A U.S. federal agent and his team were able to rescue a young girl from years of abuse after spotting a small detail in an online image.
The case is featured in Storyville: The Darkest Web, a documentary aired on BBC Four and explored further in the BBC World of Secrets podcast.
Tracking predators online
The film follows agent Greg Squire and a specialist team of undercover investigators who focus on identifying child sexual abuse offenders operating on the dark web.
In one case, investigators were searching for a girl referred to as “Lucy,” whose images had been discovered online. Determined to identify her location, the team analyzed every visible detail in the background of the photographs.
A distinctive piece of furniture seen in one image proved to be a breakthrough. The item had been sold in limited quantities across the United States, allowing investigators to narrow the search to 29 states.
Brick by brick
Another critical lead came from the room’s brickwork. Expert John Harp determined that the bricks visible in the image were manufactured at a specific plant, further reducing the geographic area.
The team then narrowed a list of potential matches from roughly 10,000 individuals to between 40 and 50.
“So, we thought we had a fairly good shot if we looked through social media that somebody on that list might have a picture of Lucy on their page. And probably by 9am we were flipping through social media pages,” Greg said in the documentary.
“And there was Lucy right in front of us. Couldn’t believe it. Nine months of looking and we’re sitting there staring at her, and we all looked and said, a hundred percent this is her. A hundred percent.”
A decade later
Lucy was later rescued, and the offender in the case was sentenced to 75 years in prison.
Ten years after her rescue, Lucy reunited with Greg and reflected on her recovery.
“I am incredibly lucky to have a good support system right now while I’m dealing with this. I have more stability. I’m able to have the energy to talk to people, which I could not have done even a couple years ago,” she said.
“I was praying, praying actively for it to end. I had been at that point for years. Not to sound cliché, but it was a prayer answered.”
Making the documentary
Director Sam Piranty said the team behind the project struggled with how to present such a harrowing subject.
“Over the seven years it took to make this film we were constantly grappling with how to confront such an unimaginably dark subject,” he said. “Yet in the darkness we found the soul of the film – the hope, the chinks of light.”
For U.S. audiences, the documentary is available on the BBC World Service YouTube channel, BBC Select and BBC.com. The accompanying podcast, World of Secrets, Season 11: The Darkest Web, is available on BBC Sounds.
If you or someone you know is affected by child abuse, support is available through national and local helplines.
Sources: BBC Four, BBC World of Secrets podcast, Unilad
