There’s a simple way to watch Finding Lucy doc Storyville: The Darkest Web for free

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You might be hearing about the documentary “Finding Lucy” this week, but it’s actually called “Storyville: The Darkest Web.” Even though it was made by the BBC in the UK, you can currently watch the full investigation online for free.

Lots of streaming services are adding new true crime shows this month, but the Storyville documentaries are especially good. Originally created by the BBC in 1997, this series offers powerful, in-depth investigations from around the world, tackling many different subjects.

The new documentary, The Darkest Web, took seven years to film. It explores the horrifying issue of child sexual abuse on the dark web and focuses on the groundbreaking investigation of a young girl known as ‘Lucy’.

This documentary was made by BBC Eye, the BBC World Service’s team of investigative reporters who create in-depth international stories. It first appeared on BBC Four and is now available online – here’s where you can watch it, no matter where you are.

Watch Storyville: The Darkest Web for free

The new series, Storyville: The Darkest Web, became available on BBC iPlayer on February 17th. If you’re not in the UK, you can still watch it by using a VPN to access the service.

I just finished watching “Storyville: The Darkest Web,” a really fascinating documentary from BBC Eye. It’s available now on BBC Four, iPlayer, and starting February 17th. If you don’t have access to those, the BBC World Service YouTube channel has it for viewers around the world. And if you want to dive even deeper, there’s a six-part podcast called “World of Secrets: The Darkest Web” on BBC Sounds – I’m already hooked!

— BBC News Press Team (@BBCNewsPR) February 13, 2026

To watch, simply connect your VPN to a UK server, then log in to or create a BBC iPlayer account and start watching. You can use this same process to catch up on past episodes of Storyville documentaries.

A new six-episode podcast called ‘BBC World of Secrets: The Darkest Web’ complements the true crime documentary. The first episode is available now, and new episodes will be released each week.

In the US, you can find this podcast on popular streaming services like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

What is the Finding Lucy case?

The “Finding Lucy” case involves a years-long investigation that began in 2014 when images of a young girl, publicly known as “Lucy,” were found on dark web forums used for sharing child abuse material. The investigation successfully led to Lucy’s rescue and the conviction of the person who abused her.

I remember when this all started back in January 2014. Homeland Security agent Greg Squire and his team stumbled across some really disturbing images – pictures of a child being abused, and it looked like it had been happening for about six years. It was awful, and that’s when the investigation really kicked off.

The harmful material appeared on hidden, secure online forums where people share and view child sexual abuse content, and try to stay anonymous. Investigators immediately needed to find Lucy’s location, but they didn’t have much information to go on.

Okay, so we had a big break when we started really digging into the details of the images. There was this one piece of furniture that gave us a lead – it turns out the company made about 40,000 of them and sold them across 29 states! That instantly narrowed down where we needed to focus our search, which was awesome.

After several months, a brick specialist named John Harp determined where the bricks in the photos were made. By tracking where those bricks were distributed and comparing that information with furniture sales records, investigators narrowed down a list of possible homes from about 10,000 to just 40 or 50.

You won’t believe how we found Lucy! Greg and I were thinking, someone on the list we had might have a picture of her on their social media, so we started scrolling through pages really early – probably around 9am. And seriously, there she was! We found her right away just by looking through people’s posts. It was amazing!

We couldn’t believe it after searching for nine months. When we finally saw her, we all instantly knew she was the one – absolutely, without a doubt.

After being rescued from her abuser, who received a 75-year prison sentence, Lucy meets with Agent Squire again in a documentary film, more than ten years later.

She told him she feels very fortunate to have supportive people in her life right now, which is helping her cope. She’s feeling more stable and has the energy to connect with others, something she wasn’t able to do a few years ago.

I was desperately praying for things to get better. I’d been hoping for a change for years, and it finally happened – it felt like a answered prayer.

What Storyville: The Darkest Web is about

Storyville: The Darkest Web documents a seven-year effort to uncover and dismantle online child sexual abuse networks. The film centers on the investigation of a specific case, known as ‘Lucy,’ and highlights the work of the police teams dedicated to rescuing victims and bringing criminals to justice.

BBC Eye received rare access to police forces worldwide – in countries like the US, Portugal, Brazil, and Russia – revealing how they go undercover in private online groups. These groups are used by criminals to share abusive images, discuss ways to hide their activities, and cover up their online tracks.

Current estimates suggest over a million people actively participate in online forums dedicated to child sexual abuse on the dark web. However, fewer than fifty undercover agents worldwide are working to shut down these harmful networks.

This film explores how investigators work together across borders, the digital tools they use to solve crimes, and the lasting emotional impact of this challenging work.

Director Sam Piranty explained that the team struggled with how to approach such a sensitive and challenging topic. He said, “It took seven years to make this film, and throughout that process, we constantly wrestled with how to honestly portray something so incredibly dark.”

We often worried about finding the right balance – showing the severity of the damage without being so graphic that people couldn’t watch.

Even amidst the bleakness, we discovered the heart of the film – a sense of hope and glimmers of positivity. We were deeply moved by the unwavering bravery of both those who survived and the officers we spoke with.

Seeing their quiet strength, determination, and courage in the face of such a frightening situation inspired us to continue making the film.

In addition to the documentary, the BBC’s World of Secrets podcast delves deeper into the story with extra reporting and interviews.

Stay updated on the latest true crime stories: learn where to stream the new documentary about Piper Rockelle, get the details on whether Lucy Letby might face another trial, and discover the current whereabouts of Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper.

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2026-02-18 21:52