Netflix doc spotlights mother’s catfishing case as a broader pattern of parental online bullying, expert says
Cybersecurity expert Dr. James McGibney, known as ‘Bully Hunter,’ says online harassment by parents is more common than expected and that digital footprints can expose perpetrators quickly.
A Netflix documentary exploring online harassment titled Unknown Number: The High School Catfish shines a light on a case from Michigan in which a mother used online tactics to target her own daughter. Kendra Licardi, 44, pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking a minor and served more than a year in prison after authorities traced an IP address associated with the messages to her phone number. The film situates Licardi’s actions within a broader phenomenon in which parents bully their children online or target their children’s dating lives, often under the guise of protecting them, and it raises questions about how social media dynamics can escalate family conflicts into criminal behavior.
The documentary comes ahead of an accompanying A&E project featuring cybercrime expert Dr. James McGibney, known publicly as the “Bully Hunter.” In an interview with the Daily Mail ahead of the A&E special, Dr. McGibney argued that it would have taken him “15 minutes” to unmask Licardi or any similar perpetrator if law enforcement had prioritized the case. He also contended that police sometimes struggle with the nuances of online stalking, noting that online anonymity can complicate investigations even when real-world stalking protocols apply. The doctor stressed that parental anonymity in online bullying is a real and under-acknowledged issue, and he described his work with hundreds of victims who exhausted normal avenues such as lawyers and restraining orders before turning to his team for help.
Licardi’s case is not the only incident the film examines. The documentary follows Dr. McGibney as he pursues a real-world victim named Rebecca, a former elementary schoolteacher whose life was upended when nude photos she had taken at 18 resurfaced online. The images circulated to colleagues and acquaintances, forcing Rebecca to quit her job in humiliation. In the film, Dr. McGibney traces the photograph’s origin and the subsequent sharing across various sites, seeking to remove the material and identify those responsible for distributing it. The investigators’ work hinges on a careful reconstruction of digital footprints and the use of specialized data aggregation tools to pinpoint culprits who would otherwise remain anonymous.
A central premise of the film—and of Dr. McGibney’s public work—is that every online action leaves a trace. He explains his method in detail, describing how he starts from a single identifying handle or post and works backward to reconstruct a user’s digital life. He recalled locating a critical post from 2005 on an obscure site, a lead that, with additional sleuthing, allowed him to identify the perpetrator and, in turn, the second person who circulated the material. His approach emphasizes the idea that online harassment is not faceless; it is embedded in digital footprints that can be investigated with the right tools and persistence.
The A&E project, Bully Hunter, builds on McGibney’s ongoing work with cyberbullying victims. He has said that his mission is to provide restorative justice when conventional systems fall short, helping victims remove abusive material and bring responsible parties to account. In the film, he describes situations in which he has helped numerous individuals confront perpetrators who had used social networks, messaging apps, and image-hosting platforms to harass and humiliates others. The documentary frames his investigative work as part of a broader effort to illuminate the human impact of online abuse and to push for better responses from institutions that often struggle to address these crimes.
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish also touches on the emotional and social costs of online harassment, including how it reverberates through families, workplaces, and communities. Rebecca, the former teacher, is depicted as someone who faced professional and personal damage due to revived online sexual content from years earlier. The documentary suggests that the damage can persist long after a single incident, shaping career opportunities, personal relationships, and mental health. Dr. McGibney’s work in these cases is portrayed as a form of advocacy as well as investigation, aiming to deter future harassment by exposing the identities and consequences of online wrongdoing.
The film is framed within a media landscape that increasingly treats digital culture and entertainment as a lens for exploring social issues. It comes at a time when streaming platforms and documentary filmmakers are turning attention to the ways technology shapes personal safety, privacy, and family dynamics. While the Netflix documentary provides context for the Michigan case, the A&E project expands the conversation to include the mechanics of online stalking, the role of law enforcement, and the potential for victims to recover their lives with targeted intervention.
The behind-the-scenes work highlighted in the documentary underscores the importance of digital literacy and proactive privacy practices. McGibney’s public statements emphasize that online safety is not solely the responsibility of individuals but of communities and institutions that can offer guidance, resources, and, when necessary, investigative support. He argues that the visibility of these cases through documentaries and specials can help educate viewers about recognizing red flags, preserving digital evidence, and seeking appropriate channels when online harassment occurs.
Bully Hunter premieres Tuesday, September 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on A&E, inviting audiences to see how a cybercrime expert navigates the intersection of technology, privacy, and personal safety. The film’s release aligns with a broader cultural interest in understanding how online behavior translates into real-world harm—and what can be done to prevent it. As Dr. McGibney and others in the field continue to advocate for more robust responses to online harassment, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish and the A&E special together offer a portrait of the human stories behind the digital traces that populate today’s cultural landscape.