A new HBO documentary is shedding light on the origins of the QAnon conspiracy movement and who may actually be the putative leader of the movement which helped spread disinformation that contributed in part to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The Independent reports that the founder of online message board — along with his son — appear to be the main drivers behind QAnon:

“The film, Q: Into The Storm, which airs on HBO Max on 21 March, identifies two possible figures: Jim Watkins and his son Ron, whose now-defunct anonymous online message board, 8chan, was where the conspiracy first began to grow. Both are interviewed in the film, which is directed by Cullen Hoback.”

Ron Watkins denied he was the leader of the movement when he spoke with The Daily Beast last November:

“I’m not Q and I have never had private correspondence with Q. My resignation from the project (8chan) has nothing to do with Q.”

Ron’s father, Jim, has an interesting back story:

“Jim Watkins was a former US army helicopter mechanic who made a fortune living in the Philippines running a series of internet ventures including pornography sites and 8chan, a message board where users could anonymously post whatever they wanted, which often devolved into shocking racism and graphic violence.

“According to an analysis from The Washington Post, mass shooters responsible for the death of 74 people at the shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand; Poway, California; and a Walmart in El Paso all used the site.”

Those who accept the QAnon lies operate under the mistaken belief that the major world powers of the Western world are controlled by a secret cabal of powerful pedophiles who consume the brains of young children to strengthen themselves:

“QAnon followers believe that this cabal includes top Democrats like President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and George Soros, as well as a number of entertainers and Hollywood celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks and Ellen DeGeneres and religious figures including Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama. Many of them also believe that, in addition to molesting children, members of this group kill and eat their victims to extract a life-extending chemical called adrenochrome.”

Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly refused to condemn the QAnon movement, asserting that since they’re opposed to child abuse, they must be a positive force.

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