A 36-year-old man from Haringey in north London has appeared in court accused of operating dark web forums dedicated to sharing child sexual abuse material.
Matthew Slate faced charges at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court, where prosecutors alleged he was part of an international organized criminal network. According to the allegations, Slate served as a global moderator under the username "Loudechoes" on a platform called [redacted], with his alleged activities spanning more than 18 months. He also faces accusations of involvement with a second alleged child abuse site between July 2023 and June 2024.
Prosecutors claim Slate used the cryptocurrency Monero in August 2024 to pay for hosting a third forum, called [redacted], on the dark web.
The court heard that Slate allegedly facilitated the distribution of more than 2,000 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse between July 2023 and February 2025. He is also accused of possessing approximately 57,000 illegal images of children, with more than 10,000 falling into the most severe category of abuse material.
Slate faces 15 charges in total:
▪️Three counts of arranging or facilitating sexual exploitation of a child under 13
▪️Two counts of participating in organised crime group activities
▪️Six counts of distributing indecent images of children
▪️Three counts of making indecent images of children
▪️One count of possessing a prohibited image of a child
The case has been transferred to Wood Green Crown Court, where a plea hearing is scheduled for 19 February.
Slate was granted bail subject to nine conditions, including cooperation with National Crime Agency requests to access his electronic devices. He is prohibited from using encryption software, data-wiping tools, or messaging applications including Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Signal. Additional restrictions bar him from accessing the dark web or deleting his browsing history. He must reside overnight at either his north London address or an approved alternative location in Epping, and is forbidden from unsupervised contact with children.
