Draft:SmartSchoolBoy9

SmartSchoolBoy9 is a highly infamous internet user and a potential child predator that masquerades as a young schoolboy that is fond of school. He uses many social media platforms but he primarily uses Instagram . He has many social media accounts with apparently AI-generated images of young children that are heavily distorted. SmartSchoolBoy9 is believed to be a middle-aged man to be roughly in his 50's named David Alter who lives in the United Kingdom, likely in England. However, this alone has been highly debated so his real identity remains unknown currently.

Origin

The online phenomenon concerning SmartSchoolBoy9 started in April 2024 when a Reddit user uploaded screenshots of a grown man in a school uniform for young children (which was David Alter), asking other users for help identifying him and if, "he was into age-play or...something more sinister." Redditors investigated this man and found almost a network of social media accounts owned by Alter, masquerading as a young schoolboy and schoolgirl. . Then four months later, the online manhunt was picked up by Youtuber Nick Crowley who made a Youtube video stating that SmartSchoolBoy9 was a 59-year-old man named David Alter, however this was later debunked.

Doxxings and Manhunts

The effort to catch SmartSchoolBoy9 turned into full-on riots with doxxings of random homes believed to be SmartSchoolBoy9's dwellings which were incorrect, calling for David to be "taken out." A video has gone viral of young people knocking on the door of the last-known dwelling David Alter has lived and then the teenagers smashed a window of the house with a brick. Then the group screamed and laughed as a surprised resident answered the door and then workmen came to fix the broken window.

ByLine Time's investigation

A new timeline called ByLineTime took interest in the manhunt for David Alter, stating that "when workmen came to fix the broken glass.

However, our own investigation showed that, despite some very disturbing behaviour, David has never been convicted of any crimes. Wanting to learn more, we visited his last known location to speak to people who actually knew him.

Anthony runs a cobblers shop and first met David “around about 2000”. He said that, when he last saw him, he “had a school uniform on that looked as though it was four sizes too small for him”. Affectionately describing him as a “little bit of a strange character”,  Anthony also said that David “got into a few skirmishes with youngsters, but adults sort of gave him a wide berth”.

This was reflected in a Facebook messenger conversation we had with a woman named Keeley. She told us that, as a 15-year-old, she had been repeatedly followed home from school by David who wanted her to come to his house. This led to David being arrested for stalking, but he was later found not guilty and was sectioned under the mental health act. Staff at the local County Court corroborated this story.

Our wider investigation revealed a complicated childhood and an online history in which David has spent a considerable amount of time interacting with adults under his “schoolgirl” persona. When we reached out to his family, David’s brother-in-law said that he had not seen him since “maybe 2007”. His sister replied to us on social media to say that David “is an adult. He made choices of how to react to life. Many have chosen to overcome hurdles, the past is the past. He could get counselling and support. I’ve moved on from that and have a new life.” David himself has not replied to our request for comment."