"My Daughter Fell Victim To An Online Catfish"

"My Daughter Fell Victim To An Online Catfish"

Author: Mamamia Podcasts September 10, 2025 Duration: 50:41

When police raided the home of 48-year-old Garry Francis Newman in March 2007, they found him sitting in his lounge room, chatting online with a 14-year-old girl. She thought she was speaking to “Brandon,” a teenage American boy. In reality, Brandon was a carefully crafted fake identity Newman had used to lure girls online. Police would later uncover nearly 200 such identities.

One of those girls was Carly Ryan.

Newman lured Carly to a secluded beach, pretending to be Brandon, and brutally murdered her. 

What followed was every parent’s nightmare and one mother’s mission to stop it ever happening again.

Donate to the work at The Carly Ryan Foundation through their website here.

Support is available if you need it: 

Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation - https://www.accce.gov.au/

eSafety Commissioner - https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics

If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

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CREDITS 

Guest: Sonya Ryan

Host: Claire Murphy

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

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Gemma Bath hosts True Crime Conversations, a podcast from Mamamia Podcasts that delves into infamous criminal cases from Australia and around the world. Rather than just recounting facts, each episode is built around a direct conversation with someone who has a unique, often personal connection to the story. You might hear from a detective who worked the case, a journalist who covered the trial, a family member seeking answers, or a forensic expert who examined the evidence. This approach brings a tangible, human dimension to stories that can sometimes feel distant or sensationalised. The tone is engaging and thoughtful, focusing on the nuances and the people affected, rather than just the shock value. It’s for anyone who appreciates a deeper, more conversational entry into the true crime genre, where the emphasis is on understanding the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ from those who were actually there. Listening to this podcast feels like being part of a serious, yet accessible, discussion about some of the most compelling and complex crimes in recent history.
Author: Language: en-au Episodes: 100

True Crime Conversations
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