North London Man Appears in Court Over Alleged Dark Web Child Abuse Forums
A suspected paedophile from North London, accused of operating dark web forums dedicated to sharing child sexual abuse material from his flat, has made his first court appearance. Matthew Slate, 36, faces serious allegations of facilitating the sexual exploitation of children as part of what prosecutors describe as a global organised crime group.
Allegations Spanning Multiple Dark Web Platforms
The charges presented at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court outline that Slate allegedly served as a global moderator under the username Loudechoes for a dark web site called Olympus. This platform is said to have been specifically established to distribute images and videos depicting child abuse. Prosecutors claim his involvement with Olympus occurred between April 29, 2024, and February 8, 2025, during which he was responsible for enforcing site rules among users.
In addition to his role on Olympus, Slate is accused of acting as a re-up doctor on another dark web forum named Neverland, where similar illegal material was allegedly shared. This activity is said to have taken place from July 20, 2023, to June 15, 2024. Furthermore, he faces an allegation that he used the cryptocurrency Monero in August 2024 to pay for the hosting of a third forum, SoulCloud 2, on the dark web.
Extensive Scale of Alleged Criminal Activities
The court heard that between July 2023 and February 2025, Slate is accused of facilitating the sharing of more than 2,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse. Prosecutors further allege that he amassed approximately 57,000 illegal images of children, with over 10,000 falling into the most severe category of abuse material.
During his appearance on Thursday, Slate faced 15 criminal charges without entering any pleas. These charges include:
- Three counts of arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under 13 years of age
- Two charges of participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group
- Six counts of distributing an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child
- Three charges of making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child
- One count of possessing a prohibited image of a child
Bail Conditions and Court Proceedings
District Judge Denis Brennan has sent the case to Wood Green Crown Court, with a plea hearing scheduled for February 19. Slate has been released on bail with nine stringent conditions designed to prevent further alleged offences and ensure his compliance with the investigation.
The bail conditions require him to:
- Comply with police or National Crime Agency requests to examine his electronic devices
- Refrain from using encryption software or programmes designed to wipe his devices
- Avoid messaging apps including Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Signal
- Not delete his internet browsing history
- Abstain from using software to access the dark web
- Live and sleep at his north London home near Alexandra Park or an alternative address in Epping
- Have no unsupervised contact with children
The case highlights ongoing concerns about the use of dark web platforms and cryptocurrency in facilitating serious organised crime, particularly offences involving child exploitation. Authorities continue to investigate the global networks allegedly involved in these activities.
