

Hunting Warhead
CBC
How do you take down a criminal network that’s hidden in the shadows? How do you rescue child abuse victims who could be anywhere in the world? Hunting Warhead follows the journalists and police on a global mission to expose the darkest corners of the internet. What they discover shocks them. Host Daemon Fairless tracks down the investigators, survivors and criminals themselves. A co-production of CBC Podcasts and the Norwegian newspaper VG. For the best in true crime from CBC, ad-free, visit apple.co/cbctruecrime.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 15, 2025 • 35min
Hunting Warhead Introduces: Dirtbag Climber from Uncover
A murder victim with multiple identities. A criminal on the run from his past. Dirtbag Climber from Uncover is a five-part podcast series investigating the unsolved homicide of “Jesse James,” a “dirtbag” rock climber found dead in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. Local reporter Steven Chua dives into the case, determined to find answers. Along the twisted way, he tracks a stranger-than-fiction story that criss-crosses North America, unveiling a stunning portrait of an enigmatic con artist — a troubling victim whose twisted life story foreshadowed the darkest digital undercurrents of our time. More episodes of Dirtbag Climber are available at: https://link.mgln.ai/dc-hw

Jun 5, 2025 • 48min
Hunting Warhead is coming back, but first: Real talk on high-risk reporting
Ian Urbina, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and founder of the Outlaw Ocean Project, discusses his daring investigative work along the world's oceans. He reveals the chilling truths of forced labor and the impact of EU policies on migrants in Libya. Urbina recounts a harrowing experience of being abducted while reporting on abuses, shedding light on the brutal conditions faced by workers on distant-water fishing fleets. With firsthand accounts and gritty storytelling, he emphasizes the connection between these dark realities and the seafood we consume.

Nov 18, 2019 • 54min
Episode 6: Fallout
At Faulkner’s final sentencing hearing, we finally discover the true extent of his activities on the dark web. We thought we knew everything he had been up to. We were wrong. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-warehead-transcripts-listen-1.5346693

12 snips
Nov 18, 2019 • 1h 6min
Episode 5: Becoming Warhead
What led Benjamin Faulkner to become Warhead? And, more importantly, how do you prevent others like him from following the same path? For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-warehead-transcripts-listen-1.5346693

Nov 11, 2019 • 48min
Episode 4: Impact Statement
Jenn was home alone with her children when she received a call from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. They needed to talk to her as soon as possible. It was about her relative, Ben Faulkner. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-warehead-transcripts-listen-1.5346693

4 snips
Nov 11, 2019 • 45min
Episode 3: Operation Artemis
After the arrest of Canadian Benjamin Faulkner, Taskforce Argos has to learn how to become Warhead on Child’s Play, before its users realize that the site has been compromised. But time is running out — and very difficult moral decisions will have to be made. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-warehead-transcripts-listen-1.5346693

Nov 4, 2019 • 44min
Episode 2: Rude Awakening
All Gordon wants for his birthday is to travel to Washington, D.C., to visit museums and see the opera. He’s completely unaware that his companion on this trip has very different plans. His friend has an alter ego, Warhead, and it turns out police are not far behind. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-warehead-transcripts-listen-1.5346693

17 snips
Nov 4, 2019 • 54min
Episode 1: Hacker vs. Hacker
Einar Stangvik is a white-hat hacker — an internet security expert with an expertise in cracking the most secure and disturbing parts of the web. He discovers a troubling phenomenon online and joins forces with journalist Håkon Høydal. It leads them to Australia, to confront two men who are running the largest child abuse site on the dark net. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/hunting-warehead-transcripts-listen-1.5346693

Sep 16, 2019 • 3min
Trailer - Hunting Warhead
A new investigative series from CBC Podcasts and the Norwegian newspaper VG, Hunting Warhead follows an international team of police officers as they attempt to track down the people behind a massive child-abuse site on the dark web — and the morally complicated lengths authorities will go to to do so. Coming November 2019.


