Why was smartschoolboy9 Reddit banned?

Although the smartschoolboy9 saga took the internet by storm after Nick Crowley’s YouTube documentary, it all started on Reddit – and it looks like it will end there too, since the page has now been banned.

Concerned netizens began posting about the case in April 2024 after discovering several Instagram profiles that appeared to be an adult posing as children with heavily edited, distorted and even explicit images. It appears to come from the same user: smartschoolboy9, a British adult male who dresses in school uniform.

As concerns grew, Crowley dropped his YouTube documentary about the case in an effort to raise awareness. He condemned any type of harassment, but as word spread, the story sparked disturbing trends: bizarre theories, alleged copycats, fake interviews and even fan art.

Despite rumors of his arrest and claims that David Alter/London, 59, was behind the accounts, no official police investigation was opened and his identity was never revealed. Those concerned had only one place to go: the smartschoolboy9 subreddit. But that is no longer the case.

Smartschoolboy9 saga leads to Reddit ban

Since November 2024, the smartschoolboy9’s Reddit page has been banned due to a “violation of Reddit’s content policy against content harassment.” It’s not uncommon for subreddits to be banned if they cross certain boundaries, in which case it facilitates or encourages harassment.

It is likely that discussions on the smartschoolboy9 subreddit, even if well-intentioned or driven by concerns, escalated into targeted comments or potentially harmful actions directed at people believed to be associated with the accounts.

As Max Williams, founder and CEO of chatbot marketing tool Herobot.app, previously told Dexerto: “While the intentions behind these efforts are often well-intentioned, the consequences can be serious, both legally than ethics. »

“When individuals take matters into their own hands, they themselves may inadvertently break laws, for example by engaging in harassment or doxxing,” he added. “This not only exposes them to legal risk, but can also escalate the situation in unpredictable and dangerous ways. »

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Even those who weren’t suspects in the eyes of online sleuths spoke out on the subject when the smartschoolboy9 saga was at its peak. For example, Salad Fingers creator David Firth revealed that he came across the man in question many years ago, growing up in the same town of Doncaster.

But after repeated harassment, Firth took to social media to ask to be left alone. “Please stop asking me about smartschoolboy9,” he wrote. “I responded to a DM a few weeks ago wondering if I remembered this guy walking around Doncaster dressed as a schoolboy with weird makeup.

“Yes. I met him in the city center 20-25 years ago. I passed him. That’s all.

“He was just a classic ‘local fool’ – I was a teenager at the time. I only remembered it because its appearance was striking. Now my DMs are full of Tiktok detectives.

The case continues beyond Reddit

Just because the main subreddit smartschoolboy9 has been deleted doesn’t mean the matter is over, as an in-depth new analysis from YouTuber Dankyjabo reveals.

The video explores how viewers continue to contact David London’s Facebook account, even though they have no verification that it is indeed smartschoolboy9. In return, they receive voice messages from the page creator, which Dankyjabo plays and breaks down.

Despite presenting evidence suggesting it could be smartschoolboy9, from his mannerisms to his voice, the YouTuber urged viewers to stop contacting the man due to the dangers it poses.

The video has more than 165,000 views at the time of writing, receiving hundreds of comments from those following the case. “Why can’t he just leave the kids alone?” ” asked one, while another said: “The level of illusion that exists is frightening. »

A third added: “To be honest at first I thought he was definitely suffering from a mental disorder or trauma but after this video he’s definitely aware of what he’s doing to some extent and this degree is sufficient to condemn him.”

However, one pointed out: “Why are these idiots messaging him? What do they think they’re accomplishing by expressing their moral outrage in his inbox? »

As noted, experts have warned their followers to avoid taking matters into their own hands. Kalim Khan, senior associate at Affinitylawyers.ca, said online investigations “demonstrate how easily speculation can escalate into potentially damaging accusations without solid evidence.”

“From a legal perspective, it is crucial to recognize that participation in such investigations could expose individuals to defamation claims if the information shared is false or misleading,” he said.

Read more about smartschoolboy9’s arrest speculation and Crowley’s latest YouTube video. You can also find the new true crime documentaries streaming this month, as well as the most shocking Netflix documentaries.