Online sleuths and fake news: The world of missing people and the torture their families have to endure

"When will it end, when will it stop?" It's the question that Jay Slater's mother still can't answer.

The constant stream of vitriol, misinformation, and abuse online has continued every day for the past 18 months.

"I've just been absolutely crucified and ripped to pieces," Debbie Duncan told us, as she read out the online comments that have hurt the most:

• "Debbie deserved to lose her son"
• "How can you possibly respect a mother grifting off her own son's death?"
• "How do you know it's Jay in that coffin - he needs digging up."

"Just scroll, scroll and scroll, and they are still there," Debbie said. "Jay's just been dehumanised."

There are hundreds of millions of pieces of Jay Slater content online, and it's constantly being created - even after a coroner ruled his fall in a remote ravine in Tenerife was a tragic accident.

"I don't think I'd be here if I sat every day and read everything that was being said," Jay's mum told us.

This is why she is campaigning - in her son's name.

She has tried and failed many times to get misinformation and the worst abuse taken down from online platforms.

"We just want to have some legislation around content," she said.

"It's about the [social media] platforms having that responsibility to take down the misinformation, the harassment, bullying."

New levels of tragedy trolling

Jay's case took the febrile world of online sleuthing and tragedy trolling to new levels.

Her campaign to give a degree of control back to families suffering this abuse is backed by the charity Missing People.

They work with a growing number of relatives being attacked online and trying to tackle callous misinformation.

"It feels quite out of control," Josie Allan from the charity told us.

"We know with the development of AI, there's going to be even more complicated issues.

"People creating fake news about missing cases, potentially making fake content using missing people's faces or voices.

"We know that that would just be horrendous for families to have to see and could really misdirect police resources and investigations."

Bogus posts of missing people

Malicious content like this is appearing more regularly.

Anonymous accounts create bogus missing people posts - often it sits in front of a fake advert or has a link to a scam website.

It exploits the natural goodwill people feel towards missing person cases.

In Australia, the search for a missing boy, Gus Lamont, was recently disrupted by a fake AI image of a man carrying what appeared to be the four-year-old.

It wasn't real.

It is an emerging and disturbing problem for people searching for a loved one.

In the UK, the family of Andrew Gosden, who has been missing for the past 18 years, has been through a similar ordeal.

Kevin Gosden's son was 14 years old when he disappeared in 2007.

Andrew caught a train to London from his hometown of Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

His family has never given up hope of him returning.

Father close to breakdown

"Just before the 18th anniversary of Andrew's disappearance… we suddenly became aware that there were articles online circulating and being shared," his father told us.

"Claiming that Andrew's body had been found, that his DNA had been found somewhere… the police have been concealing some CCTV footage with him.

"Utter nonsense. None of that's true.

"If you've got a lot of false information out there, it just doesn't help find the lad we love.

"We need to know that Andrew is still being looked for.

"I have been very close to what I know is going to be a breakdown, again with it a number of times."

Clicks are driving content

The monetisation of clicks online is one of the driving forces behind this constant stream of content.

At the CrimeCon conference in Manchester, we spoke to true crime content creators and fans of this growing genre about where the moral boundaries lie.

Andy Hobbs, who sells murder mystery games, told us: "Unfortunately, views means more money. And until that gets looked at, I don't think any regulation will come in.

"It's in the interest of social media networks to get more views, more hits."

Ruth Berry, a true-crime fan, pointed out that online investigators can, in some instances, turn up new information: "They've helped solve in some cases, haven't they?

"They've helped to unpick things that maybe authorities haven't had the resources to do, and they've had the time and the resources to do.

"But also is it their jurisdiction and is that evidence actually valid and reliable? Because how did they get hold of it, who knows?"

Annie Robinson and Beth Kent host the Grave Secrets true-crime podcast.

"It's not something you can control, is it really?" Annie said.

Beth added: "Everyone obviously deserves to have their say, I think I would just be mindful and cautious that you are having an opinion knowing that nobody has all the facts.

"It's sort of easy to talk about it, as in like, it's not a real person you've got to remember these are still victims and victims' families," Annie added.

Some sleuths 'very dangerous'

"Some amateur sleuths are very dangerous," forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes told Sky News.

"Because people want their 15 minutes of fame on social media we can't do things that knowingly hamper police investigations.

"You know, in any other world that would result in a prosecution.

"So I think that we do need to clamp down on those small number of people who do actually cause a great amount of carnage and damage."

Some content creators have turned up to insert themselves into active police searches but the wider problem of misinformation online is also hindering officers.

Read more from Sky News:
Police failed to tackle social media risks
Conspiracy theories are disrupting police

Fake news 'misdirecting police'

Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller, the national policing lead for missing persons, told us: "It takes policing away from those inquiries that we need to be following, because it's fake, it's false information.

"It's hurtful, it is harmful to the families, but it's also then misdirecting police investigations.

"People have freedom of speech, but there is a line and what I would say to those members of the public is please do not cross that line.

He, too, would like to see social media companies helping remove misleading content sooner.

'I wouldn't wish it on anyone'

"I think what we need to do is work with those providers to make sure that when mis or disinformation is put on social media, that it's removed at its earliest opportunity because otherwise it gains momentum," he said.

That incessant flow of content is what Jay's mum, Debbie Duncan has been hit by. She is determined to do all she can so that other families don't have to go through the same ordeal.

"I wouldn't wish it on anybody what we have been through," she said while contemplating everything that's happened.

She has kept boxes of cards and gifts in Jay's bedroom at home in Lancashire - reminders of all the compassion and support they have received as well as the online hatred.

"It's torture," she said while looking at the many photos of her son.

"I just look at his picture and if it's the last thing I can do for you Jay - I'll try my blimmin' hardest."

Debbie's petition can be found here.

(c) Sky News 2025: Online sleuths and fake news: The world of missing people and the torture their familie