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87 episodes

The Darkest Web: 4. Undercover
09/03/2026 | 26 mins.
After they rescue Lucy, Greg and Pete discover the dark web community is even bigger than they thought. There are hundreds of websites each sharing different images of different kinds of child sexual abuse. Overwhelmed by what they have found online and the sheer scale of the problem, Greg makes a decision to go undercover. He will go online on the dark web and talk to the paedophiles directly. They have to do everything they can to try to stop the abusers.
This podcast includes some upsetting scenes and discussions of child sexual abuse.
For further information on the issues raised in the programme, contact support organisations in your own country. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.
The Darkest Web: 3. The hidden child
02/03/2026 | 25 mins.
US Special Agents Greg and Pete are desperate. Somewhere in America a twelve year old girl, who they have called Lucy, is being sexually abused. Her abuser has been sharing images of his abuse for six years on the dark web. They have to find her - and save her.
They were convinced that Facebook would be able to help them using its facial recognition technology, but the tech giant is unable to help. So they go back to the start, examining every single thing they can see in the room she is being abused in: the sofa, the bed and then finally they wonder what they might discover if they look at the room itself, specifically the exposed brick wall. Is there any way someone could identify these bricks? And could that person help them to find Lucy?
Season 11 of World of Secrets, The Darkest Web, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.
This podcast includes some upsetting scenes, discussions of child sexual abuse, and there’s some strong language.
For further information on the issues raised in the programme, contact support organisations in your own country. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.
The Darkest Web: 2. Man with the amazing memory
23/02/2026 | 25 mins.
US Special Agents Greg and Pete are desperate. Somewhere in America a twelve year old girl, who they have called Lucy, is being sexually abused. Her abuser has been sharing images of his abuse for six years on the dark web. They have to find her - and save her.
They were convinced that Facebook would be able to help them using its facial recognition technology, but the tech giant is unable to help. So they go back to the start , examining every single thing they can see in the room she is being abused in: the sofa, the bed and then finally they wonder what they might discover if they look at the room itself, specifically the exposed brick wall. Is there any way someone could identify these bricks? And could that person help them to find Lucy?
Season 11 of World of Secrets, The Darkest Web, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.
This podcast includes some upsetting scenes, discussions of child sexual abuse, and there’s some strong language.
For further information on the issues raised in the programme, contact support organisations in your own country. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support go to bbc.co.uk/actionline
The Darkest Web: 1. Meeting a monster
16/02/2026 | 29 mins.
US Special Agents Greg Squire and Pete Manning work together to track down people who sexually abuse children and share images of their abuse online. They thought they knew what they were dealing with but they’ve just discovered they have no idea. In a prison in Amsterdam they meet a prolific paedophile, Robert Micklesons, who reveals to them the vast online world created by paedophiles to share images and video of child sexual abuse.

When they get back to the US they get an urgent call. A police officer in Denmark has found images of a girl in America who appears to have been sexually abused for six years. But no one has any idea where she is. Their job is to find her. But how will they do it?
Season 11 of World of Secrets, The Darkest Web, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.
This podcast includes some upsetting scenes, discussions of child sexual abuse, and there’s some strong language.
For further information on the issues raised in the programme, contact support organisations in your own country. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.
The Darkest Web: Trailer
09/02/2026 | 4 mins.
Somewhere in America, a twelve year old girl is being abused in her own home. Her abuser is sharing photographs of her with a vast community of child abusers on the ‘dark web’ — an encrypted corner of the internet where users are untraceable. But, hidden amongst the paedophiles, are two men whose job it is to try and find her: US Special Agents Greg Squire and Pete Manning. For more than seven years, BBC Eye journalist Sam Piranty was granted rare access to follow their work, observing the extraordinary lengths they will go to hunt down offenders and rescue children. Every detail matters, and every decision has consequences. They will not look away. The race is on.
Season 11 of World of Secrets, The Darkest Web, is a BBC Eye investigation for the BBC World Service.

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About World of Secrets

Global investigations from the BBC. Uncovering gripping stories from around the world and telling them episode by episode. Delve into a World of Secrets. Latest season: Somewhere in America, a twelve year old girl is being abused in her own home - photographs of it are being shared to a vast community of child abusers on the ‘dark web’ — an encrypted corner of the internet where users are untraceable. But, hidden amongst them, are two men whose job it is to try and find her: US Special Agents Greg Squire and Pete Manning. For over seven years, BBC Eye journalist Sam Piranty has been granted rare access to follow their work - observing the extraordinary lengths they will go to hunt down offenders and rescue children. Every detail matters, and every decision has consequences. They will not look away. The race is on. Also, previously on World of Secrets: The Child Cancer Scam: Millions of dollars are donated to help kids with cancer but families never see the money. Death in Dubai: A woman falls from a tower block and her name starts trending. But behind the online rumours lies an even darker reality. And the Abercrombie Guys: Investigating sexual exploitation claims against the former CEO of fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch.

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