Netflix continues to be the go-to platform for true crime documentaries, and their latest limited series features the UK’s most prolific cyber stalker, Matthew Hardy. Can I Tell You A Secret? is another twisted insight into the mind of a cyber-stalker and his evil and sinister campaign of terror against many many victims.
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Where is Matthew Hardy Now?
After the catalog of atrocities committed by Hardy, he was eventually apprehended, after many years of harassing and terrorizing women, and given the longest custodial sentence ever for his crimes — a nine-year jail term. he would appeal against the decision, and his term was reduced by one year. The high-profile case would highlight the dangers that can occur with social media and fake accounts, and bring the subject of cyberstalking into the mainstream public eye.
What did Matthew Hardy do?
Hardy would target many many women and did this by creating fake accounts on social media platforms such as Instagram, and approaching friends and family of his victims by saying things such as, “Hey, can I tell you a secret?” After instigating the dialogue, he would then spread malicious lies about his victim, and contact them constantly, leading to his targets becoming paranoid and fearful.
Hardy’s tactics would leave people shattered and exhausted, causing rifts with their friends, families, and partners, and leading many to have mental health issues. His victims would be unable to do anything to stop the attacks, and whenever they would block the account to stop their communication, he would continue to bombard them from many other fake profiles. Hardy would also contact their close friends and families, planting seeds of doubt and poisoning them against his innocent victim.
Matthew Hardy | Image via X
What is Netflix’s ‘Can I Tell You A Secret?’ about?
The two-part series focuses on Hardy, particularly three women who became targets for his evil manipulation. With real testimony from his victims, the show reveals how this kind of harassment can be devastating for those involved, and the eventual investigation that led to his capture.
The official plot synopsis on IMDb reads:
Three women’s lives are changed forever when a prolific stalker infiltrates their social media accounts. And they’re only a fraction of his many victims.
Who produced Can I Tell You A Secret?
Can I Tell You A Secret? is the first Netflix commission for the production company Mindhouse. That name may not mean much until you realize that one of the key figures behind the company is Louis Theroux. The presenter is behind many memorable documentaries, some trivial, some more harrowing, finding a home on the BBC. Theroux’s quirky and off-balance approach with his subjects often led to some revealing projects, and Mindhouse is also backed by Nancy Strang and Arron Fellows.
This particular project was made in association with the UK newspaper The Guardian.
How long will Matthew Hardy be in prison?
Hardy, from Northwich, Cheshire, in the UK, was jailed for nine years at Chester Crown Court. He appealed the sentence and it was reduced to eight years. It is uncertain how long he will be in prison. Often sentences can be reduced while the person is there. The judge who presided over the case would say that “social media giants should take a long hard look” at penalizing people who set up fake profiles to attack and harass people in this way.
