Can I Tell You A Secret: Where is Matthew Hardy now?

Can I Tell You a Secret?, a new documentary series from Netflix, tells the story of the UK’s most prolific cyberstalker – here’s where the perpetrator, Matthew Hardy, is now. 

Cyberstalking has been under the microscope of late, with Netflix highlighting a sinister case in its true crime documentary Lover Stalker Killer. As is demonstrated in the film, online harassment has real-life – and sometimes fatal – consequences. 

Now it’s the turn of Can I Tell You A Secret?, which sees three of the dozens of women targeted by serial stalker, Matthew Hardy. As stated by the synopsis, “The series explores the women’s experiences, the police investigation, and how Hardy was ultimately brought to justice.”

With Can I Tell You A Secret? out now, here’s everything you need to know about where Hardy is today. 

Can I Tell You A Secret: Where is Matthew Hardy now?

Matthew Hardy is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence in the UK, making it the longest custodial sentence in British history for online stalking. 

Hardy’s original sentence in January 2022 was set for nine years, with a minimum of four-and-a-half. As is described in Can I Tell You A Secret?, the court heard how he would create fake social media profiles to befriend dozens of people – predominantly women – across the UK, sometimes even posing as friends and family to gain information about them. 

Using tactics of manipulation and deception, he would send intimate photos of these women to people in their lives, reach out to their families, and even position himself within their relationships, fabricating lies of infidelity.

This would go on for months, sometimes even years, leaving the victims too afraid to leave the house or trust anyone around them. While this started when Hardy was at school as early as 2006, he continued to get away with his crimes – until PC Kevin Anderson was assigned the case in 2019. 

Following a lot of hard work and a file of evidence collected by one of his targets, Lia – who shares her story in the documentary – Hardy was finally taken into custody. 

Speaking after Hardy’s initial sentencing, Anderson said: “Having led on this case for more than 18 months I have seen the emotional distress and turmoil that Hardy has inflicted on his victims – he did all of this while hiding behind his computer screen.

“The impact on those affected by his actions has been immense, causing some of them to change some of their daily habits, and live in constant fear that they were being watched. On other occasions, it caused them to lose trust in their friends and family members, and even led to the breakdown of long-term relationships.

“Thankfully, Hardy has now been held accountable for his actions, and his online activity has finally been brought to a stop. I hope that the conclusion of this case will provide some closure for his victims and enable them to rebuild and move forward with their lives.”

Can I Tell You A Secret? is available to stream on Netflix now.