Strange But True Crime - Baby Barter

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Herbert Smith, the ‘Handcuff King’, and his girlfriend, Lottie Roberts, are circus performers who secretly buy and sell babies for profit in Edwardian Britain. But they’ll need more than a disappearing act to fight the families who come after them.

Get in touch at behaveyourself@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rima Ahmed
Reporter: Richard Tisdale
Produced by Luke de Costa
Researcher: Bethan Davies
Social Media: Fede Marilotti
Online Producer: Lee Macaulay
Executive Producer: Luke Eldridge
Commissioning Editors: Gareth Hydes and Alistair Miskin

Published on Wednesday, 14th January 2026.

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