Smartschoolboy9 fans – yes, they exist – are already planning on dressing up as the alleged predator for Halloween, an idea that has been swiftly criticized online.
Three weeks ago, smartschoolboy9 had a niche online community. However, it’s exploded since Nick Crowley’s YouTube doc (which is fast approaching 10 million views), with the case’s subreddit more active than ever before.
It can be difficult to separate fact from fiction, so this is what we actually know: smartschoolboy9 was an account run by an adult man who dressed in tight school uniforms and, in one clip, appeared to chase a real-life child.
It’s also believed he operates a network of fake, insidious accounts masquerading as children (some of which feature explicit imagery and other CSAM).
We don’t know his name, although the David London Facebook account has reportedly been linked with the original Instagram page’s email address.
With the case going viral, there’s been one unexpected consequence: smartschoolboy9 memes and “fan art” have flooded TikTok, and this Halloween, it may get even worse.
On the smartschoolboy9 subreddit, one user shared a screenshot from a TikTok video that read: “Is it just me or who else wants to dress up as smartschoolboy9 for Halloween and scare little kids?”
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Understandably, people aren’t impressed with the prospect of adults and teenagers dressing up as an alleged pedophile in a developing case and treating it like it’s a joke.
“This is basically the Jeffrey Dahmer thing all over again,” one user commented, referencing Netflix’s Monster series with Evan Peters which led to lots of Dahmer-inspired costumes.
“For the love of god wtf,” another user wrote. “People are making SSB into a meme. So many fake accounts, fake interviews/interactions with him, many many fake sightings… especially TikTok. I hate TikTok for this specific reason,” a third added.
“I was so afraid this sh*t was probably gonna happen. TikTok can’t take anything seriously it’s insane,” a fourth wrote.
In a statement to Dexerto, South Yorkshire Police said: “We can neither confirm nor deny the name of a person who may or may not be or have been the subject of a South Yorkshire Police investigation.”
We’ve broken down if smartschoolboy9 has ever been arrested and everything else about the case, including the mask theory and tech experts’ warning to people trying to track him down. Also check out our list of the creepiest YouTube documentaries to watch next, including Crowley’s Pipergate doc.