While Flawless wasn\u2019t quite finished, there was gap in the market for a UK supplier and plenty of unmet demand. In the weeks and potentially just days prior to May 22, a new service called Helix Hosting was being prepared. Operating initially from HelixHosting.ninja and later HelixHosting.xyz, the opening offer was just \u00a35 per month.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/images\/helix-sales.png.webp\")
<\/picture><\/em><\/center> <\/p>\nOn one hand, 3PM kick-off Premier League matches are a guaranteed crowd-pleasing money-spinner. On the other, they\u2019re also the best way to attract a criminal investigation by the Premier League, broadcaster Sky, the Federation Against Copyright Theft, and ultimately the police.<\/p>\n
Busted \u2013 November 2019<\/h2>\n
In an announcement on Friday, the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) provides a detailed explanation for the sudden disappearance of Helix Hosting several years ago, and the fate of now 36-year-old Helix owner Stephen Woodward of Thirsk, North Yorkshire.<\/p>\n
PIPCU\u2019s background includes details of two other services operated by Woodward; Black and White TV and another called IPTV Hosting. PIPCU reports that the latter advertised itself as the first IPTV provider with more than 4,500 channels, including Sky Sports and BT Sports, with subscriptions sold direct to viewers and via resellers.<\/p>\n
An investigation revealed that Woodward operated 13 PayPal accounts, with received funds converted into cryptocurrency, then converted back into fiat currency, before being deposited across 23 bank accounts to disguise the source.<\/p>\n
\u201cOfficers from PIPCU arrested Stephen in November 2019 and searched his home address. They seized a computer, hard drive and nine phones, as well as \u00a34,760 in cash found in a desk drawer in his living room,\u201d PIPCU reports.<\/p>\n
\u201cAround 100 envelopes, each containing a SIM card with a name written on it, were also seized. Stephen used the SIM cards to help open PayPal and bank accounts using false identities he had bought online.\u201d<\/p>\n
Released Under Investigation<\/h2>\n
After Stephen Woodward was released under investigation following his arrest in November 2019, in connection with IPTV Hosting, police uncovered conversations with Stephen\u2019s younger brother, Christopher, now 34.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn his messages to Christopher, Stephen said that he was making \u00a3100,000 a month through illegal streaming. Stephen used the funds to buy designer jewelry and clothes, holidays and a Jaguar F-Type V8 coupe worth \u00a391,000,\u201d PIPCU reports.<\/p>\n
At this point the police timeline seems to clash with public records. While the fact remains that Woodward was clearly behind the illegal sites, the details of how that played out may cause confusion. The suggestion is that Helix was launched after Stephen\u2019s arrest in November 2019 in connection with IPTV Hosting, a service that until now hadn\u2019t appeared on our radar.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 2020, while the investigation into IPTV Hosting was underway, officers were alerted by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) that Stephen had started running two further illegal streaming websites, Black and White TV and Helix Hosting. The websites provided illegal access to watch Premier League matches, as well as over 6,500 channels from around the world,\u201d the statement reads.<\/p>\n
Helix actually launched mid to late May 2018, with the first public announcement made by Woodward recorded as June 2, 2018; it appears on the same page as the June 18 screenshot shown above and again in a June 11, 2018, archive capture\u00a0available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The details concerning Black and White TV are less clear; however, at the time the service was advertised as a replacement or stand-in service for Helix, with no obvious attempt to hide common ownership.<\/p>\n After Stephen was arrested in November 2019, a month later a notice appeared on the Helix website claiming that the service\u00a0had been hacked<\/a>. Since Helix had reportedly failed to pay a ransom, the notice continued, the personal details of customers and resellers, plus an owner\u2019s name, address and phone number, would be leaked online.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Whether those details were actually leaked remains unconfirmed.<\/p>\n \u201cOfficers from PIPCU arrested Stephen for the second time and searched his home address in July 2020,\u201d PIPCU reports.<\/p>\n \u201cHe told officers that \u2018the cash is in the same place as last time\u2019, referring to the desk drawer in his living room, from which around \u00a328,600 in cash was seized. He was released under investigation,\u201d PIPCU adds.<\/p>\n In November 2020, Stephen was arrested yet again, this time by British Transport Police (BTP). Before boarding a train from his hometown of Thirsk to Kings Cross station in London, a member of station staff reportedly saw Stephen place a carrier bag behind a grit bin.<\/p>\n \u201cThe staff member checked the contents of the bag and, upon finding it contained \u00a320,000, alerted BTP. BTP officers searched Stephen\u2019s address later that day and seized an envelope containing \u00a31,770 in cash hidden in the loft. They seized a further \u00a3380 from Stephen.\u201d<\/p>\n Stephen traveled on the train to London and was arrested at Kings Cross on suspicion of money laundering. Two years later in October 2022, he was detained by Border Force Officers at Gatwick airport while attempting to board a flight to Vancouver. Almost \u00a311,000 in cash was seized from his luggage.<\/p>\n PIPCU investigators secured an \u201call-assets restraint order\u201d targeting \u00a31.1 million in 15 bank accounts and 21 cryptocurrency wallets, while \u00a3144,121 in previously-seized cash was frozen.<\/p>\n On February 21, 2025, Stephen pleaded guilty to distributing articles infringing copyright plus four money laundering offenses in connection with \u00a31 million generated by his services. On the same day his brother Christopher pleaded guilty to money laundering after receiving \u00a3126,000.<\/p>\n At York Crown Court last Friday (July 11, 2025), Stephen was sentenced to three years and one month in prison. Christopher was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for 12 months. He must also complete 240 hours of unpaid work.<\/p>\n \u201cStephen was brazen in running his illegal streaming websites. Despite being the subject of a criminal investigation, he had clearly not learned his lesson and yet again attempted to gain financially from his illegal activity,\u201d says Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt at PIPCU.<\/p>\n \u201cHis sentencing and upcoming confiscation proceedings should send a message that there are significant consequences for criminals who enable illegal access to copyrighted content.\u201d<\/p>\n Kieron Sharp at the Federation Against Copyright Theft welcomed the sentences.<\/p>\n \u201cThis investigation and the outcome underline that illegal streaming is not a victimless crime. It harms the creative economy and funds criminality. FACT commends the work of PIPCU in bringing this long-running case to justice,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Source: \u00a0![\"hh-june](\"https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/images\/hh-june-2-2018.png.webp)
<\/picture><\/center> <\/p>\n![\"image-178\"](\"https:\/\/torrentfreak.com\/images\/image-178.png\")
<\/center> <\/p>\nArrested Again\u2026.and Again<\/h2>\n
Brothers Plead Guilty<\/h2>\n
![\"TorrentFreak\"](\"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/torrentfreak.png\")
<\/a> TorrentFreak.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"