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5. This Evil Thing

5. This Evil Thing

Update: 2025-02-05
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Description

Journalist Alex Renton is sent a secret membership list of a pro-paedophile group active in the 1970s and 80s.

It’s a lot to take in. Alex is not only a journalist, he’s a survivor of child sexual abuse.

The Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE) campaigned to 'normalise' sex between children and adults. Their spokesmen claimed that adult members always sought consent.

But from the moment Alex was passed the list he knew that was a lie. He recognised some of those names and he knew they had convictions for child sexual abuse.

The List set Alex off on a dizzying journey into the dark history of PIE. As he uncovered more, he started to wonder: where were all those hundreds of members now? Could children still be at risk?

316 names. Most with UK addresses. All but a handful are men.

In this final episode Alex makes contact with some of the former members of PIE; people he believes may still come into contact with children.

Archive credits: BBC, Nationwide 1981; BBC, Newsnight 1983; BBC Parliament, 2025.

Presenter: Alex Renton
Producer: Caitlin Smith
Executive Producers: Gillian Wheelan and Gail Champion
Story Consultants: Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams
Sound design: Jon Nicholls
Theme Tune: Jeremy Warmsley

Details of organisations offering information and support for victims of child sexual abuse are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline

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5. This Evil Thing

5. This Evil Thing

BBC Radio 4