David Firth, the renowned creator behind Salad Fingers, recently shared that he recalls seeing a figure known as smartschoolboy9 on the street. Ever since, Firth has faced a barrage of inquiries regarding this account, and he’s eager for it to cease.
Three weeks prior, Nick Crowley premiered a chilling YouTube documentary, catalyzing a new online fascination with smartschoolboy9.
Here’s what we do know: the individual behind this controversial account is an adult who reportedly dresses in tight school uniforms. It is suspected that he has operated (and likely continues to run) fake profiles containing disturbing and even explicit images of minors. Additionally, correspondence from this account has been linked to David London’s Facebook profile.
The subreddit dedicated to this case is perpetually bustling, complicating the task of distinguishing fact from fiction. Just this week, disconcerting fabricated interviews led ‘London’ to modify his social media biography.
However, one thing is indisputable: the creator of Salad Fingers is not associated with smartschoolboy9.
Earlier this month, Firth responded to a direct message where a cybersleuth inquired if he had ever seen anyone resembling smartschoolboy9, who is said to hail from Doncaster.
To his surprise, he had indeed encountered such a person, specifically recalling a “dark-skinned man who wore sloppily applied makeup… I remember him in a white shirt and a school tie, and he had a peculiar posture that made him appear slightly hunched forward.”
This unexpected link between a legendary internet figure and a disturbing mystery has regrettably resulted in misinformation. Many have made unfounded assumptions connecting Firth to the alleged predator, resulting in his social media accounts being inundated with curious fans seeking insights into smartschoolboy9.
His encounter on the street from years ago is as far as it goes—he possesses no additional knowledge, nor is he in any way linked to smartschoolboy9’s disturbing online presence.
On X/Twitter, Firth expressed: “Please stop asking me about smartschoolboy9. I responded to a DM a few weeks ago asking if I remembered this guy who wandered around Doncaster dressed as a schoolboy with unusual makeup.
“Yes. I walked past him in the town center 20-25 years ago. I WALKED PAST HIM. That’s all.
Now I see posts and videos saying “he has something to do with the creator of Salad Fingers”. No he doesn’t. He was just your classic ‘local lunatic’ – I was a teenager at the time. I only remembered because his appearance was striking. Now my DMs are full of TikTok detectives.
— David Firth (Salad Fingers) (@DAVID_FIRTH) September 18, 2024
“He was just your typical ‘local lunatic’ – I was a teenager during that time. His distinctive appearance is what stuck with me. Now, my direct messages are overflowing with TikTok sleuths.”
Firth has never had any direct interaction with this individual, nor did smartschoolboy9 attempt to reach out to him in any manner. Moreover, he firmly stated: “Salad Fingers is not based on him.”
“Please stop requesting information. I have already shared everything I recall,” he reiterated.
Firth’s comments have incited anger within the case’s subreddit community, with members urging others to respect his privacy. “I feel bad that people are harassing him about this,” remarked one user.
“According to the internet, if you live in the same general area as someone, you either are that person or best friends with them. Good f**king GOD, people are stupid,” commented another, while a third added: “F**king hell. Leave the genius alone.”
For further details, we’ve analyzed whether smartschoolboy9 has ever been arrested and everything else pertaining to the case, including theories about masks and warnings from tech experts to those attempting to track him down. You should also check out Crowley’s Pipergate documentary and our compilation of new true crime documentaries streaming this month.
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